Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
The LTTE has accepted the joint mechanism, negotiated by Norway, for the distribution of aid in LTTE-controlled areas. A final decision by the Sri Lankan Government regarding its willingness to participate in the "joint mechanism" is pending while it studies the fine print.
The Paris Club, a group of 19 of the world's richest creditor nations, on 10 March offered to freeze Sri Lanka's debt payments until the end of 2005, an offer which was accepted. The Sri Lankan government has indicated that it will lobby the G8 group of nations to freeze its debt repayments until 2006 or 2007.
Overview of activities
The UN Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) has begun short-term deployments of its staff to the field in order to assist in information management at the district level. Liaison officers have already started working in Galle, while Ampara and Jaffna deployment will take place this
week.
Main challenges and responses
FAO cautioned relief organizations assisting to restore the tsunami-affected fishing industry not to supply too many small canoes for fear it could lead to over fishing and depletion of near-shore fish stocks, while ultimately reducing the incomes of fishing communities.
FAO also cautioned that some of the canoes being provided to tsunami-affected fishermen do not meet international safety standards, and could endanger fishermen. For example, some boats are being produced without polystyrene-filled buoyancy compartments that keep a boat afloat even if it fills with water.
As of last week, relief agencies indicated they have already provided, or are planning to provide, tsunami-affected fishermen a total of 10,423 canoes. The government estimates that only 6,886 were destroyed on 26 December 2004.
In order to get relief agencies to consider reducing the level of canoe production, increase production of larger fishing craft for more distant deep sea fishing and consider other livelihood schemes for the fishing community, FAO urged that they coordinate their activities more closely with it and local governnt fishery departments.
A government needs assessment on suitable uses of tents is being conducted by the Transitional Accommodation Project (TAP) with the participation of UN agencies and NGOs. A criteria has been established for suitable uses of such tents. The categories are: people still living under plastic sheeting; people living in substandard tents, such as igloo tents, who should have
them replaced; people who wish to leave temporary accommodation centres and return to their own land outside the buffer zone and people living with friends and relatives who need more living space on a site/at a house which already has watsan facilities; and administrative use, such as a temporary Government office where facilities were damaged or destroyed by the
tsunami.
Customs clearance is a continuing problem although some tents have recently been released. According to IOM 522 of its family tents were recently released from customs and 428 IOM family tents are presently held at Colombo Sea Port awaiting customs clearance. IOM reports that it had transported and distributed 618 family tents on behalf of the CNO when it was still in existence. To date, IOM has procured and distributed a total of 1,172 family tents.
UNHCR has to date delivered 1,993 tents to tsunami-affected areas. At present, UNHCR has 2,500 additional tents at the Port of Colombo which have been granted duty free clearance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and are awaiting clearance for distribution. A further 5,527 tents (also located at the Port of Colombo) are pending both the duty exemption certificates and clearance..
The LTTE has accepted the joint mechanism, negotiated by Norway, for the distribution of aid in LTTE-controlled areas. A final decision by the Sri Lankan Government regarding its willingness to participate in the "joint mechanism" is pending while it studies the fine print.
The Paris Club, a group of 19 of the world's richest creditor nations, on 10 March offered to freeze Sri Lanka's debt payments until the end of 2005, an offer which was accepted. The Sri Lankan government has indicated that it will lobby the G8 group of nations to freeze its debt repayments until 2006 or 2007.
Overview of activities
The UN Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) has begun short-term deployments of its staff to the field in order to assist in information management at the district level. Liaison officers have already started working in Galle, while Ampara and Jaffna deployment will take place this
week.
Main challenges and responses
FAO cautioned relief organizations assisting to restore the tsunami-affected fishing industry not to supply too many small canoes for fear it could lead to over fishing and depletion of near-shore fish stocks, while ultimately reducing the incomes of fishing communities.
FAO also cautioned that some of the canoes being provided to tsunami-affected fishermen do not meet international safety standards, and could endanger fishermen. For example, some boats are being produced without polystyrene-filled buoyancy compartments that keep a boat afloat even if it fills with water.
As of last week, relief agencies indicated they have already provided, or are planning to provide, tsunami-affected fishermen a total of 10,423 canoes. The government estimates that only 6,886 were destroyed on 26 December 2004.
In order to get relief agencies to consider reducing the level of canoe production, increase production of larger fishing craft for more distant deep sea fishing and consider other livelihood schemes for the fishing community, FAO urged that they coordinate their activities more closely with it and local governnt fishery departments.
A government needs assessment on suitable uses of tents is being conducted by the Transitional Accommodation Project (TAP) with the participation of UN agencies and NGOs. A criteria has been established for suitable uses of such tents. The categories are: people still living under plastic sheeting; people living in substandard tents, such as igloo tents, who should have
them replaced; people who wish to leave temporary accommodation centres and return to their own land outside the buffer zone and people living with friends and relatives who need more living space on a site/at a house which already has watsan facilities; and administrative use, such as a temporary Government office where facilities were damaged or destroyed by the
tsunami.
Customs clearance is a continuing problem although some tents have recently been released. According to IOM 522 of its family tents were recently released from customs and 428 IOM family tents are presently held at Colombo Sea Port awaiting customs clearance. IOM reports that it had transported and distributed 618 family tents on behalf of the CNO when it was still in existence. To date, IOM has procured and distributed a total of 1,172 family tents.
UNHCR has to date delivered 1,993 tents to tsunami-affected areas. At present, UNHCR has 2,500 additional tents at the Port of Colombo which have been granted duty free clearance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and are awaiting clearance for distribution. A further 5,527 tents (also located at the Port of Colombo) are pending both the duty exemption certificates and clearance..
An exact figure of the total number of tents distributed by international agencies and NGOs is unknown.
