| MULTILATERAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT
AND PREPARATIONS FOR TOKYO CONFERENCE
In preparation for
the Tokyo donor conference scheduled for 9-10 June
2003, a comprehensive (‘multisectoral’)
Needs Assessment exercise has now been completed,
and submitted to the Government by the Multilateral
Group, comprising the Asian Development Bank, the
World Bank, and the UN agencies. The objective of
the Needs Assessment was to identify the immediate
and medium term needs of the conflict-affected areas,
as well as other parts of the country, in respect
of conflict-induced difficulties. The documents produced
will accompany the Government’s own policy document,
Regaining Sri Lanka, and the bridging document, and
will serve as an information, analysis and pledging
document for donors at the Tokyo Conference. Copies
of all the documents prepared by the Government for
the Tokyo Conference can be viewed at: www.peaceinsrilanka.org.
RETURN OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED
PERSONS/IDP SURVEY
Spontaneous movement
of the displaced, largely back to their homes in the
north and east, continues to occur, despite the present
interruption to progress in the peace talks. Official
reports from the Government, finalised and released
by the Ministry of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and
Refugees (M/RRR) recently, show that 12,161 individuals
(3040 families) moved home in the month of March,
and another 6576 individuals (1644 families) in the
month of April. When added to previous movement figures,
this results in a total of 302,586 individuals (78,828
families) returning to their homes within Sri Lanka
from January 2002 up to and including April 2003.
Several nation-wide
maps showing the district-level results of the IDP
survey, covering issues relating to numbers intending
to move or return, places of residence prior to displacement,
solutions to displacement, reasons to remain and numbers
requiring assistance are displayed on the Ministry
of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees (M/RRR)
website,< www.rehabsrilanka.org>.
Data on IDP movements
continues to be gathered by Government Agents in each
district and subsequently reported to the M/RRR in
Colombo. With the exception of a minor drop in April,
over the past six months the rate of IDP return has
been fairly consistent at approximately 10,000 individuals/
month.
Despite the political
setbacks, we have also witnessed some tangible signs
of progress regarding the rehabilitation of conflict-affected
areas in recent months. Kilinochchi District received
more than fifty new telephone connections, with a
further 5,000 to follow (priority will be given for
government and NGO sectors), and work on widening
and rebuilding the A9 road started, although progress
commenced slowly. Work also commenced in April to
provide power for isolated Tamil villages in the eastern
District of Ampara and the Government expressed the
need for private sector participation on a priority
basis to improve and expand the supply of drinking
water in uncleared areas. The train service between
Batticaloa and Colombo resumed, a service that has
not been in operation since 1996, after part of the
track was destroyed.
DURABLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE DISPLACED: ADDRESSING
PROPERTY AND LAND ISSUES
The draft of the joint
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka/ UNHCR property
study has now formally adopted by the Commission,
clearing the way for the document to be made available
as a conference room paper at the Tokyo Donor's Conference
on 9-10 June. Finalisation of the document will also
allow UNHCR and the Commission to commence advocating
to the negotiating parties that they adopt the study's
recommendations, which include:
· Establishment of a Sri Lankan Commission
on Land, Housing and Property Rights (CLHPR), to resolve
and coordinate all relevant issues;
· Inclusion of land, housing and property rights
within the final peace agreement between the Parties;
and
· Sponsoring and supporting measures of legislative
and policy reform supportive of IDP and refugee rights
to recover their habitual residences.
UNIFIED ASSISTANCE
SCHEME (UAS)
Distribution of the
Government’s Unified Assistance Scheme (UAS)
continues in most districts. The scheme is intended
to provide financial assistance, in the form of a
grant of LKR 25,000 to eligible returning IDP and
refugee families, to help them restart productive
livelihoods. In his statement to Parliament of 6 May
2003, the Prime Minister stated that at that time
10,000 families had been recipients of the cash grant.
CHILD PROTECTION
Under-age recruitment
has continued in 2003 despite the LTTE leadership’s
assurances that recruitment has ceased. However, UNICEF
is pleased to note that there has been a significant
decrease in recruitment in recent months, especially
since February when UNICEF and other agencies intensified
their advocacy and the press highlighted the issue.
In 2003, the figures for under-age recruitment are
as follows: January, 101 reported cases; February,
33 reported cases; March, 25 reported cases; April,
8 reported cases. In recent months we have not seen
any significant number of releases.
The LTTE, the Government
of Sri Lanka (GOSL), local and international organizations
met in Kilinochchi on 10 - 11 April 2003, to agree
on an Action Plan to address the needs and care of
children affected by war in the North East. More than
70 people participated and put forward their ideas
to complete this document. The workshop was successful
in agencies working together and developing a plan
that covers ten working sectors. The Action Plan document
will be presented at the planned Tokyo Donor Conference
in June.
Following the above
workshop, at the request of the LTTE, UNICEF planned
a child rights training workshop in mid-April. Due
to unforeseen circumstances, the LTTE had to cancel
at short notice. UNICEF adapted the training materials
and provided training on child rights to the District
Programme Coordinators of the Tamil Rehabilitation
Organization (TRO). This is a first stage for UNICEF
in developing child rights training in the North East
with its partners.
Regular working group
meetings between UNHCR, UNICEF, and the Sri Lankan
Human Rights Commission (HRC) are held in all districts
in the North and the East to discuss the Human Rights
situation and to share information. HRC in Trincomalee
has recently commenced dissemination of the Convention
on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in schools, giving
priority to schools known to be targeted for recruitment
propaganda. UNICEF is supporting these efforts with
additional CRC materials.
In Trincomalee, the
District Monitoring Committee on Child Rights, chaired
by the Government Agent, met for the first time since
June 2002. The meeting agreed that a sub-group would
be formed so that active and committed partners can
move forward on child rights issues.
MINE RISK EDUCATION
(MRE) AND SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE (SA)
Mine risk education
continues to play a crucial role within the mine action
programme as well as with the resettlement process
of Internal Displaced People (IDPs). MRE activities
aim at not only educating people of how to live with
the threat of mines and UXO and develop safe behaviour,
but also act as a link between communities and the
demining teams before, during and after clearance
operations, ensuring two way of information and mutual
understanding so that demining can be most effective.
On April 18-22 the
National Institution for Education (NIE) organised
a workshop for the development of a MRE exercise book
for students in Negombo, with the participation of
20 experts on school curriculum development. One million
copies of an illustrated timetable for schoolchildren
containing MRE messages are being distributed.
A Mine Awareness Campaign
was carried out by the NGO White Pigeon, with UNICEF
support, in the Vanni from 1-7 April. The campaign
focused on schools and communities and the activities
included school presentations, art competitions, posters,
newspaper articles, radio messages and theatre.
EDUCATION
According to figures
obtained so far for 2003, the number of grade one
pupils enrolled is up by an impressing 40 per cent
in the North East compared with the same time in 2002.
This means that at least 17,500 additional children
have entered school this year in those areas.
Catch-up education
classes for grade-4 students in 33 schools in the
Batticaloa educational zone started on 5 April 2003.
Seven new temporary school sheds have been constructed
in Kalmunai and Sammanthurai educational zones of
Ampara district by GAFSO. Construction of three more
have also recently started.
PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE
In Jaffna district
the Wholistic Health Centre (WHC) continued to work
with more than 500 widows in 15 divisions of Kopay,
and more than 1000 children through various school
groups and play centres. Non-violent communication
training is carried out for prefects in schools who,
in their turn, then train other students under the
guidance of resource people provided by WHC. WHC is
also working with women and children in welfare centres.
In response to a request, Shanthiham carried out training
programmes on psychosocial care for NGOs, INGOs and
Gos earlier in 2003.
As part of the ESCO
Rebuilding Lives Programme children’s clubs
have been initiated in 18 villages in Pudmoddai, Trincomalee
district. There are plans for an exchange between
children in Trincomalee and Batticaloa. At the same
time, psychosocial training for health workers in
Chenkalady has started. The same programme started
earlier in Kalawanchikudy and Valaicheni areas continued
this month.
PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE
To complement
work already underway on peaceful co-existence in
Sri Lanka, in April a Peace Education Consultant based
at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva completed two weeks
of training with staff from various UN agencies, and
implementing partners.
|