Joint Humanitarian and Early Recovery Update June 2011 – Report #33 THIS REPORT INDICATES THE UN AND NGO PARTNER RESPONSE TO CONTINUING HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND EARLY RECOVERY CONCERNS, IN SUPPORT TO THE SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO REBUILD THE FORMER CONFLICT‐AFFECTED REGIONS. ACTIVITIES SHOW PROGRESS TOWARDS THE SECTORAL PRIORITIES AND GOALS DESCRIBED IN THE 2011 JOINT PLAN FOR ASSISTANCE. 12,077 IDPs in Vavuniya and Jaffna camps as of 30 June 2011 363,131 persons released and/or returned as of 30 June 2011 Source: Compiled by UNHCR from district and government data I. SITUATION OVERVIEW & HIGHLIGHTS • June saw an acceleration of returns to Mullaitivu areas. Between 1 June and 30 June 2011, around 4,800 people (1,400 families) returned to their areas of origin in the Maritimepattu and Puthukkudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat Divisions (DSD) from Menik Farm camp in Vavuniya District. By end June, the total population returned to the Northern Province stood at 377,497 people (112,288 families) – this figure includes 202,801 people (63,778 families) displaced after April 2008 and 174,696 persons (49,134 families) displaced before April 20081. • At the end of June, 12,689 IDPs (3,830 families) displaced after April 2008 remained in camps awaiting return to their areas of origin. An additional 8,521 IDPs (2,360 families) from the protracted or long‐term caseload (displaced prior to April 2008) remained in welfare centres. Long‐lasting solutions are also sought by a total 151,663 IDPs living with host families: 66,663 persons (23,281 families) displaced after April 2008, in addition to 85,000 long‐term IDPs (16,945 families). • A total 5,612 IDPs (1,715 families) remained stranded in transit situations in the five northern districts: 1,732 recent IDPs (479 families) and 3,880 long‐term displaced persons (1,236 families). • The humanitarian community continues to support the government in its commitment to seek durable resettlement solutions for the remaining displaced people. Agencies are providing returnees with basic services and livelihood assistance to help them rebuild normal lives. • The Secretary, Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province (PTF) and the UN Resident Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) scheduled a meeting for 15 July to review the progress of the Joint Plan of Assistance for the Northern Province in 2011 (JPA) at the mid‐year milestone. The Government Agents (GA) will discuss achievements and outstanding humanitarian needs and 1 There are two major caseloads of displaced people in Sri Lanka. Those recently displaced or ‘new’ IDPs refers to those displaced after April 2008, and the ‘old’ or protracted caseload refers to those displaced prior to April 2008. Note that the total population returned to their districts of origin includes returns from both categories of IDPs. Compiled by OCHA | Website: http://www.hpsl.lk 1 Joint Humanitarian and Early Recovery Update June 2011 – Report #33 gaps in each of their districts at the meeting bringing together government authorities, UN agencies, and NGO as well as donor representatives. FUNDING • The UN Under‐Secretary‐General/Emergency Response Coordinator, Valerie Amos, has allocated US$ 5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to strengthen the response to continuing humanitarian vulnerabilities in the former conflict‐affected regions of Sri Lanka. UN and NGO programmes remain largely underfunded (see below), constraining support to government efforts in helping IDPs still in camps and resettled communities to meet their essential needs, as well as restore livelihoods, basic infrastructure and services. The RC/HC is leading the UN Country Team in discussions on distributing the CERF grant among sectors, with livelihoods and food security, shelter, protection, food assistance, WASH, nutrition and health as key priorities for support. • This is the third allocation to Sri Lanka in 2011 in sum of US$ 16 million in CERF support. The first allocation was to support the North due to underfunding and the second for emergency relief during the floods in (primarily) the Eastern, Northern and North‐Central Provinces earlier this year. • By 19 July 2011, nearly US$ 67 million (23.3%) has been received against the total JPA requirement of US$ 289 million. • By 19 July 2011, approximately US$ 24 million (52.4%) has been mobilized against the revised Flash Appeal requirement of US$ 46 million to address the underfunded needs of approximately 1.2 million people affected by the January‐February floods. II. FLOOD RECOVERY in the EASTERN, NORTHERN and NORTH‐CENTRAL PROVINCES The following is a summary of about six months response to the humanitarian and early recovery needs after two successive floods hit (mainly) the Eastern, Northern and North‐Central Provinces in early 2011. While much work has been done, communities need more assistance to regain losses and restore livelihoods. Education • The majority of children from these communities lost essential school supplies, including school bags, textbooks, uniforms and shoes. Education infrastructure also suffered, as many schools found supplies washed away or permanently damaged. Although children’s education remains a high priority, economic hardship and decreased income in the aftermath of the floods increased the risk of children’s education being disrupted or even discontinued. Partners provided critical assistance to schools, teachers and students, as shown in table 1 below, to ensure children’s access to education and regular student attendance: Table 1: Flood impact on the education sector and assistance provided Schools affected 1,028 Schools cleaned 709 Tarpaulins distributed 2,000 Green boards distributed 614 Recreation kits distributed 257 Learner kits provided 89,530 Source: UNICEF, June 2011 • The demand for education supplies remains high and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency has committed over US$ 500,000 to UNICEF to provide essential stationery for children. This will reduce the financial burden on families of re‐equipping their children to go back to school. Food Security, Agriculture and Livelihoods Food • In partnership with the government, WFP distributed food through food‐for‐work, food‐for‐asset creation and vulnerable group feeding programmes. Approximately 263,000 beneficiaries received some 1,240 metric tons of food, while nearly 5,000 vulnerable people also received food support through a ZOA food‐ for‐work (FFW) intervention. • Following a review, WFP has decided to extend its Emergency Operation (EMOP) for a further six months to provide adequate food assistance to vulnerable people until the end of the lean season in January 2012, Compiled by OCHA | Website: http://www.hpsl.lk 2 Joint Humanitarian and Early Recovery Update June 2011 – Report #33 when the Maha harvest is anticipated. Approximately 500,000 people will receive 14,000 tons of food support through this support. • Under the EMOP, WFP and partners are carrying out FFW projects as general food distribution and ‘soft’ food‐for‐work (SFFW) activities phase down. So far, almost 650,000 people have received more than 2,150 metric tons of mixed food commodities through the general food and SFFW modalities. • WFP has purchased 135 metric tons of Thriposha, a locally‐produced supplementary food fortified with nutrients to assist targeted beneficiaries. Children between six‐23 months, pregnant and nursing women and children between 24‐59 months suffering from moderate acute malnutrition will start receiving Thriposha, sugar and oil. WFP and the Ministry of Health (MoH) are finalizing beneficiary selection. Agriculture • For the 2011 Yala season, FAO provided 141,060 bushels of paddy seed to 30,000 farming households in the Eastern Province, sufficient to cultivate nearly 50,000 acres, as well as other food crop (OFC) seeds to 30,000 families for cultivation of 741 acres (see tables 2 and below). Table 2: FAO paddy assistance in the Eastern Province during the 2011 Yala season Districts # of bushels # of households # of acres Ampara 33,721 7,172 11,240 Batticaloa 66,021 14,041 22,007 Trincomalee 41,318 8,787 13,773 Total 141,060 30,000 47,020 Source: FAO, June 2011 Table 3: OFC support in the Eastern Province during the 2011 Yala season # of households # of households # of acres Green gram (1/4 acre per household) 1,150 288 Ground nut (1/4 acre per household) 1,350 338 Cowpea (1/4 acre per household) 1,675 419 Black gram (1/4 acre per household) 398 100 Maize (1/4 acre per household) 2,500 625 Vegetable seed kits (30,000) 30,000 741 Source: FAO, June 2011 • In addition, FAO is planning to provide additional agricultural support for the most vulnerable smallholder farmers (with landholdings of 1‐2 acres) to cultivate 60,000 acres of paddy and 4,000 acres of OFC, as well as 30,000 vegetable seed kits, during the Maha 2011/12 season. Livelihoods • UNDP facilitated strong coordination between government, UN and NGO partners throughout the flood response, including through effective information management. Batticaloa District • After the floods, nearly 80% of the population2 in the Koralaipattu North, Koralaipattu South, Eravur Pattu, Manmunai West, Manmunai Southwest, Porathivu Pattu DSDs, which were resettled fairly recently, needed livelihood assistance. The majority were farmers affected by widespread destruction of the Maha paddy crop (estimated at 76%). Additionally, there was substantial damage to farming‐related infrastructure: authorities estimated LKR 467.3 million (US$ 4.2 million) worth of damages to eight major tanks, 11 medium tanks and 102 minor tanks. • Against this backdrop, partners mobilized to provide livelihoods assistance. Nearly 73,000 people of an estimated 214,000 in need received direct assistance, or support through cash‐for‐work (C4W) or FFW initiatives (table 5). In terms of agricultural support, close to 30,000 people received home gardening, OFC or paddy seed (table 6). • The government’s C4W programme 16 days of labour for 10,561 labourers (i.e., 168,976 work days).