Humanitarian agencies in Sri Lanka need $37.5 million for emergency activities

(Geneva and New York: 30 August 2006): Against the backdrop of renewed conflict, which has newly displaced more than 200,000 people in the north and east of the country, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) country team in Sri Lanka today launched a Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) requiring $37.5 million for urgent relief from September to December 2006.
Serious humanitarian consequences have arisen from the spiralling conflict in the north and east that has shattered the fragile ceasefire in Sri Lanka. At present, protection concerns and human rights violations have taken centre stage, as more than 200,000 people have been newly displaced in recent months. At the same time, the unprecedented killing of 17 Sri Lankan employees of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Action Contre la Faim (ACF) earlier this month has dealt a sharp blow to the security of humanitarian operations.

"There is an urgent need for restoring and safeguarding of humanitarian operational space to ensure effective access to allow the delivery of services and the monitoring of assistance programmes," said Rashid Khalikov, Acting Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva, while presenting the Common Humanitarian Action Plan to Members States today.

Recurrent conflict has resulted in the breakdown of family structures and social safety nets. Coping and resilience mechanisms have been stretched to their limits, exposing individuals to extreme vulnerability, particularly the elderly, women and children.

At the end of August 2006, the number of people displaced in the north and east of Sri Lanka has risen to 217,457, with an additional 9,203 people having sought refuge in India. Current assessments and estimates indicate that the figures may continue to increase. The movement of large groups of displaced persons to adjacent areas has also added pressure on host communities already affected by the crisis.

The CHAP is a stand alone humanitarian strategy, which identifies priority actions to be taken to provide protection, shelter, food, water and environmental sanitation, health care, education and livelihood support for affected populations, including those displaced. As a fund-raising tool, its two-fold objective is to seek funding for newly emerging and unforeseen needs and to realign tsunami funds for targeted equitable aid to affected populations. The programmes to be undertaken within the CHAP seek to complement the Government's efforts to respond to potential developments. A consolidated mechanism for coordination between the Government and IASC member agencies has also been established.

For further information, please call: Kristen Knutson, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570.