Emergency Relief: Sri Lanka

Aftermath of Tamil Tigers (LTTE) defeat

 Sri Lanka Refugee Camp

In the aftermath of the Sri Lankan government military action leading to the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in May 2009 there are currently some 275,000 refugees (internally displaced people) who are living in 29 camps provided by the Sri Lankan government. The situation for children in Sri Lanka was already bad before the displacement due to fighting:   

  • In the the civil war zone (since 1983), the situation of children is far worse than in other parts of the country.In the north and east, where 65,000 children do not go to school.

  • A quarter of all households have no access to potable water; 18 % of children have no adequate water supply or sanitary facilities;

  • 29 % of all children under five suffer from undernourishment and/or malnutrition and consequent disorders. The reasons are varied and include poverty-related problems such as an unbalanced or otherwise unsuitable diet

  • Apart from SOS Children there are hardly any family-based alternatives to orphanages for children requiring out-of-home care.

  • Children were seriously affected by the Tsunami; thousands died in the flooding; thousands more lost one or both parents as well as relatives, friends and teachers. The school sector also suffered (destruction of many school buildings).

Now the children in the camps particularly need our help. SOS Children as usual was among the first to help. On 27 May SOS Children became the first children's charity permitted to enter the IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps. On 11 June,

SOS Children obtained permission for an emergency relief programme by the Ministry of Child Development and signed an agreement with the CECB (government agency Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau) for constructing the temporary shelters. This means that the first phase of the planned emergency activities can be launched in the coming weeks. Our plans are:

 

  • Short-term care (two to three months)Temporary accommodation for lone children in a safe area of the IDP camps and tracing the families of the separated children.

  • Medium-term care (five to six months)SOS Children will continue to make all efforts to reunite children with their biological families and accommodate children whose situation has not yet been clarified in a safer environment and find a solution in the best interests of each individual child. Children needing medium-term or long-term care could possibly be accommodated in the SOS Children's Village Nuwara Eliya. In addition, a house in town could be rented if the number of double orphans cannot be cared for within the existing facilities.

  • Long-term planning: After six months when we have a clear picture on long-term needs, SOS Children will consider setting-up an SOS Children's Village.This would however depend on various issues including the security situation and the number of children in need.

To donate to the Sri Lankan Emergency Appeal please donate here writing "Sri Lanka" on the instruction field or back of the cheque. We undertake that 100% of all funds received for this emergency appeal will be transferred and used to pay for this programme without any deductions.

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