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Sri Lanka: Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara Situation Report # 102

Countries
Sri Lanka
Sources
IASC Sri Lanka
Publication date
22-30 November 2007

KILINOCHCHI & MULLAITIVU DISTRICTS
and Manthai West (located in Mannar district but covered by Kilinochchi district)

Situation update

Aerial attacks intensified in various parts of Vanni resulting in several civilian casualties and increased displacements. Following aerial attacks on a local radio station on 27 November, FORUT suspended all field operations in the Vanni. The air strikes damaged FORUT's office as well as the WFP compound in Kilinochchi.

28 November, humanitarian organisations restricted and/or postponed scheduled activities in Kilinochchi due to the deterioration security situation. Additionally, the UN restricted movement to critical instances in Kilinochchi town and project implementation areas on 28 and 29 November due to aerial bombardments and claymore mine incidents.

Local media reported on 28 November that 11 people including 7 school children were killed when the van they were traveling in got hit by a claymore bomb on the road between Thunukkai and Kokkaavil.

Internally Displaced Persons

A new pattern of displacement has been noticed with civilians displacing themselves from the vicinities of local communications or local press facilities fearing continuation of aerial bombardments.

The latest IDP statistics made available by the GA and AGA offices in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts stand at 83,364 individuals (22,287 families).

Displacement continues in Manthai West and Madhu divisions in Mannar district. According to the Divisional Secretariat (DS) of Manthai West, 2,680 families (10,566 members) have been displaced from areas near the Forward Defense Line (FDL) of Mannar and have sought refuge in nine GS divisions since September 2007. AGA of Manthai West also reported that at least 103 families remain in communal buildings and that 97 families are without shelter, many sleeping under plastic sheeting.

Sector Response

Shelter

28 November, World Vision started preliminary work of site clearing and purchasing of materials in preparation for the construction of 150 temporary shelters for Mulankavil IDPs displaced from Manthai West.

23 November, CARE distributed material for the construction of 20 temporary shelters to IDP's settled in the Paranthan and Nachchikuda villages in Kilinochchi and also distributed cadjan to 20 families in Pannankandy to thatch their shelters.

UNHCR through its implementing partner UNOPS assisted 51 families displaced settled in three AGA divisions of Kilinochchi district to re-thatch their shelters.

UNHCR through its implementing partner UNOPS constructed 25 temporary shelters for IDPs displaced from Manthai West areas.

UNHCR's implementing partner FORUT supplied temporary shelter material to 27 IDP families settled in Mullaitivu District.

Food

WFP procured 75 MT of rice from Vanni - based suppliers for use in their programmes covering Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Local suppliers also responded to two local tenders totaling 2,225 MT of rice, of which almost 1,500 MT are for delivery outside the Vanni.

WFP dispatched 50 MT of mixed food commodities to IDP's in Kilinochchi with another 3.5 MT dispatched for food-for-training. In Mullaitivu, 230 MT of food was dispatched for IDPs and a further 2.25 MT for the WFP school feeding programme.

19-24 November, the WFP logistics special operation team transported roof tiles for CARE (6 trucks), school items and NFRI for UNICEF (5 trucks), Wat/ San equipment for World Vision International (3 trucks), medical equipment for the Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services (DPDHS) (1 truck) and food for WFP (6 trucks).

Water and Sanitation

UNOPS, UNHCR implementing partner, completed the construction of two wells in Kilinochchi district and identified another nine locations for the construction of tube wells.

NFRI

22 November, World Vision distributed NFRI packs to 190 IDP families displaced from the Manthai West areas in Mannar and settled in Mulankavil-Poonakary.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) distributed NFRI items to 45 IDP families originating from Manthai west, Jaffna and Batticaloa districts in September and October 2007 and now settled in Karachchi AGA.

UNHCR distributed NFRIs to two IDP families displaced from Manthai West and settled in the Kilinochchi area.

Protection

DRC provided cash assistance to four extremely vulnerable accompanying parents of children in need of treatment at the Vavuniya hospital. DRC also provided NFRI and tarpaulin sheets to 3 IDP families in Karachchi AGA division whose shelters were lost in an accidental fire.

SCiSL constructed a Child Friendly Space at Iranaimathanagar in Kilinochchi, benefiting 173 children. SCiSL also conducted a workshop on 'Theater Focused Drama' for 105 children in Thunukkai AGA and conducted a workshop on 'Convention on Rights of Children' for 17 Mudkompan-Poonakary children's club members.

SCiSL organized a Child Led Advocacy programme in Konavil, Kilinochchi with the participation of 40 children and their parents.

CARE with the District Disaster Management Unit of Mullaitivu, formed Emergency Preparedness Committees in five villages of Mullaitivu.

DRC as a protection implementing of UNHCR , conducted a two-day training on social mobilization for Community Based Organisations (CBOs), IDPs and host communities in Mullivaikkal east.

SCiSL distributed 10 varieties of trees and cages (to protect the trees in infancy stage) to the Sekkalai Karukkaitheevu GTMS (Government Tamil Mixed School) in Kilinochchi.

Education

SCiSL opened two Early Childhood Care and Development Centers (ECCDCs) at the Pazhayamurukandy and Puthukkudiyiruppu villages in Mullaitivu district for 54 children and 4 teachers. SCiSL assisted 59 ECCDC teachers with a monthly allowance of Rupees 2,000.

SCiSL organized an awareness session for 200 parents and 125 children in Iranaimathanagar on the importance of education through theatre action.

Livelihood

SCiSL delivered the second installment of cash grants to 208 beneficiaries from Kanthikiramam, Uzhavanoor, Mudkomban, Barathipuram, Poothanvayal, Vadakadu and Therankandal.

CARE under the 'UPWARD' project provided assistances for land preparation and fencing to 94 beneficiaries from two villages in Kilinochchi district. CARE also provided livelihood assistance to 20 beneficiaries for cattle and poultry rearing in the Pannakandy village. On 23 November, CARE provided a Rupees 75,000 cash grant to the Ulavanoor Saving and Credit Group in Kilinochchi to run a loan scheme for livelihood activities.

UNHCR assisted three vulnerable IDP families in Kilinochchi under the Extremely Vulnerable Individuals programme.

Capacity Building

SCiSL conducted a one-day workshop on 'emergency preparedness' for 7 teachers and 30 students of the Mudkomban GTMS School in Poonakary.