WASH in IDPs

JAFFNA, KILINOCHCHI, MULLAITIVU, MANNAR, VAVUNIYA and TRINCOMALEE DISTRICTS

Displacement after April 2008 - IDP situation as reported by Government Agents

as of 9 October 2009

IDPs

During the period 1 April 2008 to 9 October 2009 - 247,073 persons are currently accommodated in camps and hospitals.

Vavuniya Camps : 229,649

Mannar Camps : 1,314

Jaffna Camps : 7,401

Trincomalee Camps : 6,725

245,089 people are accommodated in temporary camps.

Hospitals : 1,984 5 IDPs (injured and care givers) are in hospitals in various districts6 as of 28 August 2009.

RELEASES, RETURNS & TRANSFERS

Releases : 13,336 people have been released from temporary camps into host families and elders’ homes as of 09 October 2009. The majority of these people are elders, people with learning disabilities and other ulnerable groups.

Returns to places of origin : 13,502 have been returned to Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts between 05 August and 09 October 2009.

Transfers to the districts of origin and accommodated in transit sites : 1,749 have been transferred to Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Mannar districts between 11 September and 09 October 2009.

(Source – UNOCHA)

SEE TSUNAMI Videos

Return HOME

Around 265,000 people were displaced earlier this year as a result of the conflict since 1983 between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), with military victory and government rule of the entire island declared on May 18th 2009.

During the period 1 April 2008 to 28 September 2009, 255,551 persons are reported as currently accommodated in camps and hospitals, of which 253,567 continue to be accommodated in temporary camps, with the great majority in Vavuniya. 7,835 people have been released from temporary camps into host families and elders' homes as of 24 September 2009. The majority of these people are elders, people with learning disabilities and other vulnerable groups. 6,813 have been returned to Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts between 5 August and 28 September 2009. (UNOCHA Joint Humanitarian Update, as of 28 September 2009)

The increasing number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Sri Lanka results in a greater strain on the already inadequate water and sanitation services available to the communities in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the current IDP locations are often congested, thus causing a risk of an outbreak of water-borne and water and sanitation related diseases.
Addressing this situation require:

a) enhanced coordination among sector partners and institutions

b) establishing safe water sources for drinking and cooking purposes c) setting up temporary facilities for washing and personal hygiene paying special attention to privacy and proper disposal of waste waters

c) construction of temporary latrines ensuring privacy and security, particularly for women and children

d) establishing appropriate and community managed systems for proper drainage and solid waste disposal.

In order to enhance the capacity of the Government to coordinate all stakeholders involved in planning and responding to humanitarian emergencies arising in the country, a Water and Sanitation Emergency Task Force was established in 2006 under the umbrella of the National Coordination Group of Water, Sanitation and Drainage. The main objectives of the Emergency Task Force is to guarantee that humanitarian response is coordinated, timely and adequate and that partnership among humanitarian actors of the sector is strengthened to make their collaborative action more effective and predictable.

SEE TSUNAMI Videos

Return HOME