Savukady camp, close to Eravur. There are two areas in this extended camp. Tents as semi-permanent accommodation for people who arrived a few months ago, mostly from Sampoor, Muttur and Kathiraweli. Have been displaced few times since the battle for Sampoor started in August 2006 [Photo: UNHCR/Amarasinghe]

When the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) Sri Lanka was launched in September 2006, renewed violence in the country had caused considerable new displacements.  The new wave of open hostilities in the north and east brought the country to the brink of a new war.  The humanitarian consequences included hundreds of civilian casualties and a newly displaced population of more than two hundred thousand persons.  Human rights and protection of civilians remained deeply problematic with the spiraling violence, which led to child recruitments, abductions, torture and murder.  The provision of essential needs such as food, health, water and sanitation to the affected populations remained challenging and insufficient, exposing vulnerable communities to further risks.  The conflict had also resulted in the breakdown of family structures and social safety nets, and affected economic conditions and livelihoods.  Restricted or  insufficient humanitarian access prevented aid agencies from timely and uninterrupted delivery of emergency assistance.  Aid workers had witnessed a serious shrinking of humanitarian space due to threats, attacks, access curbs and bureaucratic hurdles.

Click here to download the full 2006 CERF report for Sri Lanka.

In addition, the Tsunami recovery programmes in the north and east had slowed or stalled altogether.  The Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed in 2002 allowed some 418,500 IDPs from the original conflict induced caseload of 735,000 to return to their homes during between 2002 and 2006.  However, the violence and terrorist attacks caused thousands to again leave their homes and escape for safety.  The new insecurity also led over 8,700 persons to flee to India during the year.  Despite the CFA, since January 2006 targeted killings of civilians, artillery bombardments, and aerial attacks occurred.  National and international monitoring bodies raised concerns about numerous human rights violations by non-state actors.  Various initiatives to mediate a solution to the crisis have proved unsuccessful.  The volatile situation has been compounded by operations conducted by the LTTE splinter group, commonly referred to as the Karuna faction.

Sri Lanka received CERF funds through the rapid response window.  These funds made it possible to start critical activities, deliver life-saving services and ensure support to affected populations while helping beneficiaries maintain food self-reliance where possible.  The rapid operationalizing of most of the CERF projects further provided time-critical seed funding for priorty CHAP projects.  Synergy support was provided through common services such as logistics and safety and security.  Allocation of CERF funds also prompted early collaboration in most sectors, in terms of both prioritization and start up of critical activities.  It further provided time and building momentum for discussions with donors to provide and release additional funding through the CHAP term. 

IDP families receive WFP-provided wheat flour at Sathurukkondan 3, a welfare camp in Manmunai North in eastern Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. [Photo: IRIN/Jones]

CERF funds have notably helped resource the food sector, which was severely underfunded, as well as the agriculture sector where funding enabled mid-season planting and a subsequent harvest in April 2007.  In the health sector, the CERF grant helped fill crucial unmet funding gaps and made it possible for WHO to respond in a timely manner to address the acute health needs of IDPs.  Without the CERF grant, WHO and other implementing partners like UNFPA, IOM, Sewa Lanka, World Vision Lanka could not have provided essential, reliable, good quality, life-saving health care services and emergency supplies to IDPs including in many hard-to-reach areas.  The collaborative work with UN agencies and NGOs was very much facilitated, creating a favourable environment and building trust among healthcare providers, IDPs and host communities served.

In the logistics sector, the CERF grant equated to 55 percent of the total budget for the WFP Logistics Augmentation Special Operation.  The shortfall in funding of $197,552 did not have any significant impact during 2006.  Overall, the CERF provided the necessary funds to allow WFP to fill the required staffing gaps, to initiate construction works, to purchase and install mobile storage units, to purchase 20 trucks and procure information and communication technology (ICT) equipment.

Although it was not possible for UNDSS to establish a full Humanitarian Operations Centre due to bureaucratic hurdles, CERF funds allowed UNDSS to provide improved security service that could be sustained throughout their areas of operation. It enabled safe delivery of programs in the north and east.

 [Last Update: 24 August 2007]

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CERF in Sri Lanka 2007

Click here to download the 2006 CERF report for Sri Lanka