60% of 327,730 IDPs in Vanni without adequate shelters - TRO

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2008, 13:28 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a local-NGO attending to the relief needs of the more than 320,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including the 90,000 tsunami and previously affected, in Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts, said shortage of nearly 40% basic essential food for the IDPs have to be urgently met through local production, while embargo by the Sri Lankan government on building materials have left 60% of the refugees without adequate shelters, in a report issued this week.

Food supply, and distribution are major critical problems facing the IDPs, the report said pointing to the the delays and restrictions imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the SL Ministry of Defense (MoD). Lack of maintenance of internal roadways, added to the damages caused by the monsoonal rains, have further aggravated the distribution difficulties, the report added.

“Food and medicine approved by the Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) and the relevant ministry are also often blocked or delayed,” the report said.

TRO said in the report that local community leaders are brought to the forefront in attending to identifying and managing local communities. A community, religious leader is appointed as head of a group of 300 families, which are then co-ordinated by  Community Based Organizations (CBOs), that cover several Grama Sevakar Divisions. Each CBO has a co-ordinator and a Rescue and Emergency Operation team to attend to the emergency needs of the area, the report said.

TRO is also conducting volunteer training to equip residents to deal with the exigencies of the war.

The TRO listed the following as the urgently needed items:

• Roofing sheets, cement, tarpaulin to build shelters for 15,130 families
• 5000 temporary toilets
• Non-food relief items to 20,000 families
• Maternity kits for 3000 new expectant women
• Baby kits to 3000 babies
• Mosquito nets, water filters, water purification tablets
• fuel, water pumps/bowsers, health services equipment including ICUs