CERF allocates $2.2 million for humanitarian demining in Sri Lanka
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| The Humanitarian Demining Unit clears land in Sri Lanka [UNHCR] |
27 October 2009: The ERC approved a request for CERF funding from the United Nations Resident Coordinator of Sri Lanka. $2.2 million will go to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to jumpstart a $5 million demining project to be carried out together with the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). The project is intended to contribute to creating conditions that would speed up the safe return of internally displaced Sri Lankans now staying in camps.
Between January and May 2009 approximately 300,000 people fled the combat zone in northern Sri Lanka, and were settled in camps, mostly in and around the town of Vavuniya. The place of resettlement appears to be hindered by a range of factors. With CERF funds, demining equipment, including metal detectors, personal protective equipment for 200 deminers, and three mini flail machines will be procured to expedite mine survey and clearance in the North to support the resettlement of IDPs. An interim International Technical Advisor will also be recruited for three months so that humanitarian mine action in Sri Lanka is implemented in conformity with standard operating procedures so that land can be released for safe IDP returns, and for socio-economic recovery of return areas.
[Last Update: 6 November 2009]
CERF allocates over $11 million for emergency humanitarian support to IDPs in northern Sri Lanka
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| A UNHCR staff member talks to displaced people in northern Sri Lanka [UNHCR] |
12 May 2009: Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been affected by the appalling violence between the government army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka for the past three months.
The CERF funding will help humanitarian workers from United Nations humanitarian agencies, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to rush assistance to those who have recently been able to flee a combat zone in northern Sri Lanka, where tens of thousands of people had been trapped since the fighting intensified early this year. The United Nations estimates that some 190,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are in camps and in hospitals, and that there are still at least 50,000 still in the conflict zone, which is now less than 4 square kilometers.
The CERF funding will go to some fourteen different projects to be carried out by a number of United Nations agencies and their NGO partners. A total of $ 3 million will help the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and IOM to provide safe water to more than 250,000 people who have managed to flee the combat zone. Some $2 million will help the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide food assistance to some 300,000 IDPs who have recently arrived from the combat zone in seriously weakened condition. Another $1.8 million will go to help United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) carry out programmes to provide 2,000 emergency shelters to IDPs. The remainder of the allocation will go to a number of urgently-needed programmes including those to provide emergency health care, additional clean water and hygiene, and protection of the IDPs, including children.
Some $10 million of that total had already been contributed by CERF in February. This second CERF allocation of $11.3 million means that Sri Lanka has received more CERF funding than any other country so far in 2009.
[Last Update: 14 May 2009]
CERF allocates nearly $10 million for emergency humanitarian assistance in Sri Lanka
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| A farmer in northern Sri Lanka [Photo: IRIN] |
27 February 2009: With the withdrawal by the Sri Lankan Government from the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement in January 2008, geographical areas throughout the island are experiencing increased violence. The escalation of violence, including heavy mortar/artillery shelling, claymore mine attacks and air attacks, in the northern districts of Sri Lanka has resulted in the displacement of more than 200,000 civilians, it is predicted that there will be a total of 430,000 IDPs in 2009.
The newly displaced individuals, who prior to displacement have suffered the affects of a prolonged conflict, are currently facing urgent basic survival needs in particular shelter, food, health, water and sanitation and psycho-social support.
With extremely limited access and presence in the affected areas, it has been difficult to verify human rights violations but it is clear children have been exposed to an increased risk of being killed, maimed, recruited and made vulnerable to other forms of exploitation and abuse by all parties to the conflict. The largest portion of CERF funds will go to the World Food Programme (WFP) to feed civilians who have fled to transit camps and to those who are still caught in the conflict zone. The World Health Organization (WHO) will provide basic life-saving care. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will boost capacity for protection of civilians, including efforts to curb the recruitment of child combatants. UNHCR, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will also set up emergency shelters for the tens of thousands of civilians who have already managed to escape the fighting. In addition UNICEF will construct emergency latrines and temporary learning centers and provide clean water and nutritional assistance.
[Last Update: 2 March 2009]