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Durable Solutions
Progress Report
The Bulletin of the United Nations Inter-Agency IDP
Working Group
No. 4: July 8, 2002 |
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| SPONTANEOUS RETURN OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED
PERSONS (IDPs) |
The spontaneous
movement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) towards
villages of origin continued during June in districts
throughout the North and East, though precise figures
for this time period are unavailable. The UN Inter-Agency
IDP Working Group, which has been meeting weekly since
May to co-ordinate response in support of the government,
continues to use the conservative estimate of 100,000-plus
IDPs who since Jan. 1, 2002, have returned home, relocated
elsewhere or remain in transit.
Neither the data from the UN’s rapid village
assessments in May and June nor statistics from Government
Agents specify time frames narrowly enough to indicate
weekly or monthly movement trends. To resolve this
problem, the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) has presented to the Ministry of
Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees (MRRR) a
plan for tracking IDP return on a twice-monthly basis.
The monitoring system would be implemented through
Government Agents throughout the North and East. It
would allow stakeholders to more precisely identify
trends in return movements and enable humanitarian
actors to better provide timely, adequate protection
and assistance.
While still maintaining that conditions are not yet
right for large-scale, organised return of IDPs, UNHCR
continues to distribute needs-based packages of non-food
relief items to spontaneous returnees. In Jaffna,
Trincomalee and north Vavuniya, for example, packages
were distributed to more than 3,200 families since
the beginning of June. Such assistance distributions
are co-ordinated with relief efforts by other UN agencies
as a complement to the government’s Unified
Assistance Scheme (UAS) for IDP returnees. The UN
has encouraged the government to utilise the UAS to
assist all returnees -- IDPs and refugees alike, spontaneous
or otherwise -- as early as possible based on identified
needs.
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| IDP REGISTRATION |
Department
of Census & Statistics officials are conducting
district summaries of the island-wide registration
of IDPs, which began in April and continues in many
parts of the island. The survey will provide valuable
information on the history of displacement, current
living conditions and future intentions of IDPs, including
those who have recently returned or are in the process
of doing so.
The Department of Census & Statistics has completed
work on a database capable of storing, sorting and
analysing the information; tenders are being accepted
for the task of entering the data from the survey.
The MRRR’s Policy, Planning and Co-ordination
Unit, which is supported by UNHCR, is expected to
issue a final report by the end of August. A preliminary
report containing information based on a random sample
of 10 percent of the IDPs surveyed should be ready
by the end of July.
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| FOOD SECURITY |
Most of
the estimated 20,000 families that have moved since
the beginning of the year in an effort to return to
their villages of origin had supported themselves
prior to displacement by farming, fishing or both.
In order to make their return and re-integration efforts
sustainable, they will need the necessary tools or
equipment, fertilisers and seed to resume their farming
and fishing occupations, according to a recent report
by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Not
only must they be provided with such inputs but as
well with training and advice on how best to make
use of them.
Anticipating the likelihood of increased return if
the peace process continues to move forward, the FAO
has prepared a prospective package of inputs intended
to benefit approximately 35,000 farm families this
year. These packages include seeds, tools and sprayers,
and a new herbicide for paddy that is more environmental
friendly, cheaper and more effective than more commonly
used herbicides. It is essential that returnees receive
seeds before the beginning of the Maha season in October
if they are to have the opportunity for a good harvest.
Tools to clear land that in some cases has been un-tilled
for 10 or more years are needed even earlier so that
the work can begin as soon as possible.
Another urgent need, according to the FAO report,
is to re-train returnee farmers and locally stationed
agricultural officers. Special emphasis must be placed
on the use of fertiliser, which was not available
for many years in many war-affected areas of the North
and East. Furthermore, motorcycles are required for
cattle and dairy industry workers and support personnel,
including veterinary surgeons, to carry out their
jobs. Solar refrigerators are required to store vaccines
to prevent major livestock diseases.
The FAO report recommends the extension of credit
to workers within the fishing industry, which through
its strong co-operative movements can establish revolving
loan funds for future investments that have been agreed
upon by the community. Stocks of fish in Sri Lankan
waters are high because of the long-time ban on coastal
and deep-sea fishing, according to the FAO report,
so good returns can be anticipated. Ice making and
fish-drying are two peripheral industries that should
be developed utilising modern techniques.
AusAid have donated AUS $200,000 for Micro Credit
under the Umbrella Project. This money will be distributed
to the UNDP field offices to expand existing projects
working with host and returnee communities, including
fishing co-operatives. UNDP operates a micro-credit-plus
approach -? providing vocational training for clients
and institutional strengthening for organisations
implementing micro-finance. Loans are targeted towards
developing livelihoods and micro-enterprise, thus
providing opportunities for employment and the regeneration
of local economies within the conflict-affected areas.
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| MINE ACTION |
The nucleus
of the National Mine Action Programme has established
its presence in Colombo. The team consists of a Chief
Technical Adviser, Mr. Alex van Roy, who along with
Ms. Camilla Madsen, Technical Adviser for Mine Risk
Education, will be based in Colombo. The technical
advisers at the field level are Ms. Leonie Barnes,
who will be based in Vavuniya, covering the Vanni
and the East, and Mr. Tim Horner, who will be responsible
for and based in Jaffna. The Mine Action Office is
based temporarily in the United Nations Development
Project (UNDP) headquarters in Colombo; once government-level
negotiations are completed and staff and facilities
are identified the team will shift to a new location
within the capital.
The National Mine Action Programme will work initially
to locate mine- and unexploded-ordinance- (UXO-) affected
areas and identify priorities for mine action in relation
to the movement of IDP and conflict-affected persons
within those areas. The programme will be led by a
National Steering Committee, and administered by the
National Mine Action Office. The role of the office
will be to accredit; license, co-ordinate and monitor
activities relating to mine action, providing advice
and creating a positive environment for the conduct
of mine action. At the district level, mine action
offices will be established within the Government
Agent’s office.
UNDP and UNHCR recently has been allocated AUS $640,000
from AusAid for mine action.
A number of agencies and organisations are involved
in conducting mine-action activities, or exploring
the possibilities of doing so in Sri Lanka, including
the following:
Mine Risk Education
– Sarvodaya, Tamil Relief and Rehabilitation
Organisation, Save the Children - UK, White Pigeon,
Interfaith, UNICEF;
Mine Clearance – Ronco, Humanitarian
De-Mining Unit, Mines Action Group, HALO Trust;
Potential – Danish Church Aid,
Mines Awareness Trust, Handicap International (France
and Belgium), Geneva Centre for International Humanitarian
De-mining, Swiss Federation for De-mining, Danish
De-mining Group.
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| VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION OF REFUGEES |
UNHCR met
this month with key officials from the MRRR, shortly
after the return of Hon. Minister Dr. Jayalath Jayawardane
from a visit to south India, to continue discussions
on voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees.
The UN Refugee Agency welcomed the government’s
firm commitment to protect and assist Sri Lankans
refugees and IDPs and the promotion of durable solutions.
In addition, UNHCR reiterated its readiness to provide
the necessary support in facilitating return should
it be required.
During his late-June visit to south India, the first
by a Sri Lankan Minister in 14 years, Dr. Jayawardane
spoke with some of the 66,000 Sri Lankans living there
in government refugee camps. Positive discussions
with officials and informative dialogue with refugees
laid a solid platform for further discussions on procedural
and logistical issues related to possible repatriation
efforts. The Minister also met with the outgoing and
incoming UNHCR Chiefs of Mission in India. The Minister
expressed his firm desire to have a strong UNHCR presence
in Chennai and said that he would support a role for
UNHCR that may go beyond validating the voluntary
nature of repatriation.
Both the Sri Lankan government and UNHCR remain in
agreement that conditions in Sri Lanka are not yet
suitable for promotion of large-scale, organised return
from India. UNHCR nonetheless continues to assist
the voluntary repatriation of priority cases, currently
comprising of 85 Sri Lankan refugees located in Tamil
Nadhu. Three elderly refugees were repatriated on
May 29 – the first to return to Sri Lanka from
India with UNHCR’s assistance since 1995.
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| SPONTANEOUS REFUGEE RETURN |
UNHCR remains
concerned about the fate of refugees returning spontaneously
from India – despite the risks -- by boat across
the Palk Straits. More than 200 families have taken
this route since the beginning of the year, according
to Sri Lankan government authorities in Mannar District,
where most of the spontaneous returnees land. UNHCR
strongly encourages all refugees who feel the need
to return immediately to discuss their options with
officials at the UNHCR Chennai office before proceeding;
furthermore, all refugees who have returned spontaneously
to Sri Lanka are asked to notify UNHCR or government
authorities in order to receive assistance according
to their needs. |
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| HEALTH |
The World Health
Organisation (WHO) held a workshop at Kandalama on
June 22-23 to prepare a plan for health systems recovery
in the northeast. All major stakeholders involved
in the delivery of health-care services in the Northeast
Province participated, including UNDP, UNICEF, ICRC,
MSF Holland & France, IMO, JAICA, PSL, the Ministry
of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees, district
health administrators and provincial health administrators.
The World Bank
and Asian Development Bank were invited but tendered
excuses.
In addition, Dr. Hans Detlev Raich, an Austrian national,
has been deployed from WHO headquarters as a short-term
consultant on Emergency Humanitarian Action. |
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| CONTACT DETAILS |
| For further information on UN programmes
for returnees, please contact the following focal points
for the various sectors identified in the UN-Government
Joint Strategy to Meet the Immediate Needs of the Returning
IDPs: |
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Agriculture (FAO) –
Mr. James Breen, Emergency Co-ordinator. Telephone:
580798; e-mail:
FAO-LKA@field.fao.org
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Co-ordination & Capacity
Building (Office of the UN Resident Co-ordinator) --
Patrick Vandenbruaene, Humanitarian Adviser, and Mr.
Matthew Todd, Assistant. Telephone: (94) 01-580691;
e-mails: patrick.vandenbruaene@undp.org,
matthew.todd@undp.org
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Education (UNICEF) –
Mr. Jean-Luc Bories, Head of Programme, Children Affected
by Armed Conflict. Telephone: (94) 1 551331; e-mail:
jlbories@unicef.org
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Employment (ILO) – Ms.
Berit Mortensen, Crisis & Reconstruction Specialist.
Telephone: (94) 580691-7, ext. 293; e-mail:
berit@ilo.org
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| Food (WFP) – Mr.
Hakan Tongul, Assistant Country Director. Telephone:
586244; e-mail: Hakan.Tongul@wfp.org |
| Health (WHO) –
Dr. Lokky Wai. Telephone: (94) 01-502319; e-mail: wr@who.lanka.net |
Non-Food Relief (UNHCR) –
Ms. Jennifer Thambayah, Associate Programme Officer.
Telephone: (94) 1-683968; e-mail:
thambaya@unhcr.ch
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Mine Action (UNDP) –
Mr. Alex van Roy, Chief Technical Assistant. Telephone:
(94) 1 580691, ext. 286; e-mail: alex.vanroy@undp.org
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Protection (UNHCR) –
Mr. Michael Lindenbauer, Senior Protection Officer.
Telephone: (94) 1 683968; e-mail: lindenba@unhcr.ch
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| Water & Sanitation (UNICEF)
-- Mr. Jean-Luc Bories, Head of Programme,
Children Affected by Armed Conflict. Telephone: (94)
1 551331; e-mail:
jlbories@unicef.org |
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