23 April - 24 May 2007

Situation update

Over the past month, fighting between the Sri Lanka Security Forces and the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam has continued in the Topigala and Tarawai areas of Batticaloa district
and in the Madhu and Valitikulam areas west of Vavuniya. Shelling at the Omanthai
entry/exit points caused the closure of the ceasefire line on 17 May after an explosion
occurred a few hundred metres from the lines. ICRC staff was evacuated from the area on
security grounds. The Uyilankulam entry/exit point in Mannar was also closed on 18 May on
the orders of one of the parties to the conflict following shelling nearby. Omanthai entry/exit
point was closed again on 22 May after shootings occurred close to the lines. In the wake of
these security incidents within five days that jeopardized the safety of civilians and ICRC
personnel, the ICRC decided immediately and temporarily to withdraw its employees from
Omanthai and Uyilankulam crossing points. Nevertheless, during the closure the lines were
briefly opened to allow across medical cases and as well as the handover of the bodies of
nine combatants. (The ICRC transported the bodies of 22 combatants during the period
covered by this bulletin.)

On the island's east coast, the return of internally displaced people to the Batticaloa South-
West area (Velaveli, Porative and Palugamam) has progressed smoothly and some 15,000
people were able to return to their homes. In Vaharai, where almost all 15,000 residents
have returned, the local authorities have worked with humanitarian organizations to distribute
food parcels. According to the authorities, there remain 120,000 displaced people in
Batticaloa itself. Over 60,000 of them are living with host families while the others are in over
80 camps set up by aid agencies.

Over the past four weeks, the ICRC has continued to provide water, sanitation and shelter in
11 camps of Batticaloa district. It supplies tents as a stopgap measure, then gradually
replaces them with temporary shelters. More than 450 new shelters for about 2,300 persons
have been constructed in the camps for displaced people in Kiran, Chenkalady, Manmunai
and Kalawanchikudi divisions. The ICRC has continued to play a major role in providing
basic household items such as hygiene sets, jerrycans and tarpaulins for about 10,000
displaced people in Batticaloa district. The kits contain much-needed items such as washing
powder, soap, shampoo and toothpaste.

Responding to a request from the World Food Programme, which faced a supply shortage,
the ICRC provided 750 tonnes of rice on 9 May, enough to feed over 120,000 displaced
people for one month. Some 600 tonnes are now being distributed to 100,000 people in
Batticaloa district and the remainder to 24,000 people in Trincomalee district.


Health
The ICRC continued its support for the health authorities in Northern and Eastern provinces.
Fifty-one patients in need of specialized treatment in Colombo hospitals were flown there by
the ICRC from Jaffna, as were over 200 laboratory specimens. Likewise, sensitive medicines
such as vaccines and other items requiring refrigeration were flown from Colombo to the
Jaffna Teaching Hospital and government health services in the city. The ICRC also
transported essential materials for the production of prostheses to the Jaffna Jaipur Centre
for Disability Rehabilitation. The ICRC supplied surgical items, enough to treat 100 warwoundvictims, to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

In the Vanni area, the ICRC furnished medicines to the health authorities in Kilinochchi and
Mullaitivu, and dressing material to nine health-care facilities. It also transported several
amputees to specialized centres for the fitting of prostheses and facilitated the transfer of
more than 800 patients across the ceasefire line.

In Batticaloa, the ICRC facilitated the transfer of seven amputees from camps for displaced
people to the Handicap International centre for the fitting of prostheses. One wounded
person was taken to hospital by the ICRC and more than 20 others by the Sri Lanka Red
Cross Society.

Sri Lankan Red Cross volunteers continued to promote good health practices and sound
disease-prevention techniques in the camps for displaced people in Trincomalee and
Batticaloa. Sri Lankan Red Cross ambulances continued to provide invaluable services in
Vavuniya and Batticaloa.


Economic security
Over the past month, the ICRC has provided some 10,000 displaced people in Batticaloa
district with 1,800 hygiene kits (washing powder, soap, shampoo, etc.), 800 baby parcels
(baby soap, towels, baby lotion and powder, etc.), 500 jerrycans and 40 tarpaulins.
In Trincomalee district, some 350 people have received about 100 hygienic parcels and 40
baby parcels, while in Echillampattai the ICRC aided the local population with 300 kg of rice
and dhal and 150 kg of fish, milk powder, sugar and salt. In addition, the fishermen living in
the area have received 1,500 floats, 300 kg of lead weights for their lines, 400 rolls of rope
and 200 nylon nets.

In the Vanni, more than 2,500 people have received 2,400 hygiene kits and an equal number
of baby parcels, mats, hurricane lanterns, towels. The ICRC also distributed 200 saris and
several hundred implements such as pitchforks, shovels and hoes.


Water and habitat
The ICRC has continued to provide water, sanitation and temporary shelters for 11 camps for
displaced people in Batticaloa district. Over 450 new shelters for 2,300 persons were
constructed in the camps in Kiran, Chenkalady, Manmunai and Kalawanchikudi divisions. In
addition, 185 tents, enough for about 1,400 occupants, were built along with 40 latrines in
two other camps in Manmunaipathu division to host displaced families previously sheltering
in local schools. The ICRC set up a mortuary with a capacity of six bodies at Valaichchnai
hospital.

In Trincomalee district, the ICRC has continued construction work at KiIlivetti camp for
displaced people, where over the past four weeks 42 shelters for about 250 persons have
been completed along with four bathing wells.

In the Vanni, the ICRC has finished repairing seven hand pumps and disinfected 10 open
wells and two tube wells. In addition, the ICRC office in Kilinochchi has distributed shelter
materials to 1,800 families (about 8,000 people).


Restoring family links
The ICRC has been working closely with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to restore and
maintain contact between members of families separated by the conflict. Over the past
month, the ICRC has collected 132 new family messages and delivered 153.


Visiting detainees
Over the past four weeks, the ICRC has continued to visit people arrested on security
grounds. Delegates carried out 33 visits to 33 places of detention in which they registered
and held private interviews with 524 detainees.


Promoting protection of the civilian population
As part of its confidential dialogue with the parties to the conflict, the ICRC reports violations
of humanitarian law that have affected the civilian population, including disappearances.


ICRC presence at crossing points
In the past four weeks, the ICRC has acted as a neutral intermediary to facilitate the crossing
of about 19,000 civilians at Omanthai and 6,000 at Uyilankulam.


Cooperation within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
Given the specific context of Sri Lanka where post-Tsunami reconstruction and conflictrelatedhumanitarian activities overlap, the various partners within the International RedCross and Red Crescent Movement working in Sri Lanka met in May to make sure
humanitarian work is carried out in a coordinated and efficient manner. They have also
discussed policies designed to further cooperation between the members of the Red Cross /
Red Crescent family. These policies provide a foundation for strong cooperation driven by
the seven fundamental principles (humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary
service, unity and universality). This spirit of cooperation allows the Movement to work to its
strengths, for example by combining the local expertise of Sri Lankan Red Cross branches
with the technical capacity available from other partners in areas such as restoring family
links, disaster response and community health.


For further information, please contact:
Davide Vignati, ICRC Colombo, tel +94 11 250 33 46 or +94 77 728 96 82