SRI LANKA

MEMBER ACTIVITY REPORT

A Guide to Humanitarian and Development Efforts of
InterAction Member Agencies in Sri Lanka

July 2010

Photo: Save the Children

Produced by Daysha Hampton

With the Humanitarian Policy and Practice Team, InterAction

And with the support of a cooperative agreement with USAID/OFDA

1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20036

(202) 667-8227, Fax (202) 667-8236
www.interaction.org
ABOUT US
InterAction is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on the
world’s poor and most vulnerable people.

At InterAction, we recognize that our global challenges are interconnected and that we can’t tackle any of them
without addressing all of them. That’s why we create a forum for leading NGOs, global thought leaders and
policymakers to address our challenges collectively. Leveraging our shared expertise, on-the-ground insights from
our 190 member organizations and strategic analyses of the foreign aid budget, we deliver a bold, new agenda to end
global poverty and deliver humanitarian aid in every developing country.

Principles of the InterAction Alliance

We believe that we all have a role to play.
Our world’s interconnected challenges demand that we each contribute our unique insights to shape a bold agenda
that promotes human dignity and well-being for all.

We believe today’s challenges require new solutions.

Our collaboration will bring about the innovative solutions we need to confront global challenges and achieve global
prosperity.

We believe that human stories must give way to a new agenda.

Our solutions must be rooted in our grassroots expertise, bringing human stories and personal experiences to the
halls of power.

We believe all our actions must be rooted in interaction.

In a world of porous borders and converging sectors, we must leverage our collective actions and experience for a
more just world.

Humanitarian Policy and Practice Team

InterAction
1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 210
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 667-8227
(202) 667-8236
www.interaction.org

© Copyright InterAction July 2010

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CONTENTS
Map of Sri Lanka 4

Report Summary 5

Humanitarian Situation and Background 6

By Sector of Activity 8

Glossary of Acronyms 9

American Red Cross 10

International Medical Health Organization 13

Lutheran World Relief 15

Save the Children 17

Solidarity Center 18

United Methodist Committee on Relief 19

World Vision 20

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MAP OF SRI LANKA

Map courtesy of United Nations Cartographic Section. Available online at: http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/srilanka.pdf.

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REPORT SUMMARY
This report chronicles the activities of seven InterAction member agencies in Sri Lanka. InterAction members work in
a variety of sectors, including primary health care, emergency response, agriculture, food security, water and
sanitation, displaced populations, education, and livelihoods. While some members work on post-tsunami
programming, others have focused their work on the humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict between the
Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE). Although the conflict ended in May 2009,
Sri Lanka continues to suffer the reverberations of a civil war that lasted over 25 years.

InterAction members are responding to the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern and eastern Sri
Lanka by providing food, water, shelter, child protection services, and other aid items to marginalized populations.
Recent waves of returnees have further amplified the need for NGOs to provide basic social services in Sri Lanka.
Some member organizations are meeting the needs of returning residents of the country’s northern districts; these
districts were heavily affected by the civil war. Work is also being done to respond to returnees who are being
relocated to tertiary locations. Despite challenges accessing displaced communities, members have shown
impressive coordination in responding to the humanitarian crisis through a range of activities, such as providing
psychosocial rehabilitation and mental health services for resettled IDPs. In a country that has yet to recover from the
aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, creative and sustainable programs are needed more than ever.

There has been continued violence over the past year, which has led to an increase in the numbers of IDPs seeking
shelter, clean water and basic economic resources. With security concerns and limited access to these populations,
members are having trouble maintaining staff and operations in the North and East, where the need for these
programs is great. Land mines all over the north of the country also present a challenge, continuing to prevent
displaced people from returning home.

The most recent report on the work of InterAction members in Sri Lanka was the Tsunami Accountability Report,
produced in December 2006. This report contains information on programs, funding, and partnerships with and for Sri
Lankans since that time. In the past several years, members have transitioned from disaster response programs to a
mix of humanitarian and longer-term development programs. Some members have focused almost exclusively on
housing construction, while others have responded to the mental, physical and emotional needs of Sri Lankan
children. A number of vocational, educational, and community centers have been renovated and reconstructed, while
capacity-building remains one of the foremost strategic goals.

In the following pages, this Member Activity Report describes the relief and development efforts of InterAction
member agencies in Sri Lanka from December 2006 through June 2010. Member submissions detail the type of
assistance provided, geographic location of activity, partners, funding and special concerns of the organization.

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HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND BACKGROUND
The conflict between the government of Sri Lanka and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) raged for 26
years. With its victory over the LTTE in the north in May, the government has announced an end to military
operations against the LTTE.

The conflict began with an outbreak of communal violence between the island’s Sinhala majority and the Tamil
minority and was exacerbated by ethnic tensions and significant economic disparities along ethnic and geographic
fault lines. The LTTE was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in 1997. Both sides have been
accused of human rights violations and a disregard for the protection of civilians.

Several attempts at a negotiated settlement were made during the war years. A cease fire reached in 2002 largely
held until the election in November 2005 when President Mahinda Rajapaksa ran on a platform of defeating the
Tigers militarily. After a period of rising tensions, with both parties committing provocations, the ceasefire was
subsequently abandoned with a return to open warfare and acts of terrorism. In 2006, seventeen workers from the aid
organization Action Contre la Faim were murdered in the eastern region. A national investigating commission, the
“Commission of Inquiry” was established to investigate this and some other cases of alleged serious human rights
violations. However, the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons charged with monitoring and reporting
on the Commission’s work decided to terminate its operations in Sri Lanka in March 2008, citing a lack of government
cooperation in carrying out a transparent and comprehensive investigation.

After a hard-fought campaign that displaced close to 200,000 civilians, the government re-established control over
Tamil areas in the eastern part of the country in 2007. A military offensive launched in 2008 against rebel strongholds
in the north ended with a government victory in May of 2009.

The recent fighting in the north has devastated communities, killed or permanently disabled thousands of civilians
and left hundreds of thousands displaced. The LTTE used civilians as human shields and the government generally
ignored calls from the international community for humanitarian ceasefires to allow aid to reach those at risk. At the
height of the government’s military offensive, it declared certain areas off limits to virtually all humanitarian
organizations, including UN agencies, and to journalists. In other conflict-affected areas, access was limited and
irregular. Reports from the conflict zone indicated that the civilian population suffered severely from military
bombardment, widespread human rights violations by both sides, and a lack of food, water, shelter and medical
assistance.

Reports during the fighting indicated that IDP camps run by the government also did not offer adequate protection or
services. As this paper was being prepared in June, conditions remained very poor. Freedom of movement continued
to be restricted for those held inside the camp. There were also reports of disappearances at registration points and
from the camps themselves, including the disappearance of children, which if true is a repetition of circumstances that
prevailed in the East at the end of the military campaign in that region. Humanitarian organizations also report that
family reunification efforts are too slow. Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children who have fled the conflict
zones are in need of adequate protection. There are also serious concerns about the fate of former child soldiers
conscripted by the LTTE and about reports of abductions by paramilitary groups inside and outside IDP camps. Food,
water and sanitation also fall short of international standards.

Meanwhile, in the eastern part of the country, an uneasy peace prevails. Tensions remain high over land and political
power. Many formerly displaced persons are still unable to resume their livelihood. There have been outbreaks of
violence within and among factions, and concerns have been raised about impunity for killings and disappearances,
many at the hands of government forces or the supporters. And there are disturbing reports indicating ongoing
recruitment and re-recruitment of children by paramilitary groups in the eastern districts of Batticaloa and
Trincomalee.

During the recent phases of the conflict, the U.S. repeatedly expressed its concerns about the humanitarian and
human rights situation in the country. The Millennium Challenge Corporation suspended more than $11 million
intended for Sri Lanka in FY 2008 because of deteriorations in security and concerns about the government’s human
rights record. At the same time, however, concerns have been raised that U.S. bilateral security assistance for
military training and equipment may contribute to violence against civilians.

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With the cessation of fighting in the north, there is an opportunity for the Sri Lankan government to chart a new
course for the country. Unfortunately, initial responses by the government, including the indefinite extension of
emergency and the resistance to call for open and independent investigations of human rights violations, are not
encouraging.

The immediate imperative is to ensure that the human rights of all displaced persons in the north are fully protected
and that humanitarian assistance reaches those in urgent need. In the short term, the U.S. and international
community should join together to hold Sri Lanka accountable for its adherence to the internationally accepted
Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. The Sri Lankan government should also be pressed to begun quickly to
undertake a long-term national reconciliation and development effort that fully engages minority communities
throughout the country and addresses their legitimate political and economic aspirations. The U.S. and international
community should stand ready to make diplomatic intervention and to provide the needed external resources in order
to encourage the Sri Lankan government to choose reconciliation and development.

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BY SECTOR OF ACTIVITY
Child Protection Health Care
Save the Children ADRA
Solidarity Center American Red Cross
World Vision IMHO
World Vision
Community Development
UMCOR Internally Displaced Persons
American Red Cross
Conflict Resolution UMCOR
LWR
Livelihood Activities
Disaster and Emergency Relief American Red Cross
American Red Cross LWR
IMC Mercy Corps
Oxfam America Oxfam America
UMCOR
Education and Training
IMC Reconstruction
Solidarity Center Oxfam America

Gender/ Women in Development Water and Sanitation

IMC American Red Cross
LWR Oxfam America
World Vision

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GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS
CBOs: Community-Based Organizations
CIDA: Canadian International Development Agency
CRC: Children’s Charter of the United Nations
DFID: Department for International Development
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization
GoSL: Government of Sri Lanka
HIV/AIDS: Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross
IDPs: Internally Displaced Persons
INGOs: International Non-governmental Organizations
IOM: International Organization for Migration
LNGOs: Local Non-governmental Organizations
LTTE: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
MoE: Ministry of Education
MoH: Ministry of Health
MoU: Memorandum of Understanding
NGOs: Non-governmental Organizations
OCHA: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OFDA: Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance
SLRCS: Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
UNDP: United Nations Development Program
UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund
USAID: United States Agency for International Development
USG: United States Government
YMCA: Young Men’s Christian Association

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 AMERICAN RED CROSS
US Contact
Eric Porterfield
Communications and Media Officer
2025 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 303-4194
porterfielde@usa.redcross.org

INTRODUCTION
In addition to domestic disaster relief, the American
Red Cross offers services in five other areas:
community services that help the needy; support and
comfort for military members and their families; the
collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving
blood and blood products; educational programs that
promote health and safety; and international relief and
development programs. Photo: American Red Cross

AMERICAN RED CROSS IN SRI LANKA

Over the past five years, the American Red Cross has participated in emergency relief and long-term recovery
operations in communities affected by the 2004 tsunami throughout Sri Lanka. The mission of the American Red
Cross Tsunami Recovery Program in Sri Lanka is to build on the strengths of communities, the global Red Cross
network and other partners to restore and improve the lives of tsunami-affected people. The American Red Cross
strategy focuses on transferring capacity to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) to strengthen its ability to
implement relief and development programs in the long-term. In certain program areas, such as housing and
livelihoods, the American Red Cross has worked closely with capable partners to monitor program implementation,
guide the overall direction of work and ensure that proper stewardship of funds is observed. In June 2010 project
implementation will conclude, and the American Red Cross will begin to close down its offices in Sri Lanka. A
summary of program accomplishments is below.

Water and Sanitation

The tsunami caused widespread damage to wells, water pipes and septic systems, contaminating many families’
source of safe water and endangering the health of people in tsunami-affected communities. In response to these
needs, the American Red Cross has provided 18,000 households with access to an improved, clean water source
through constructing or repairing wells, rainwater tanks and groundwater pipe connections, and through the
distribution of ceramic water filters that provide up to 40 liters of clean drinking water per day. By the end of our
program, a total of approximately 50,000 households will have access to improved, clean water sources. The
American Red Cross has also improved sanitation and waste management systems for 2,500 households through
constructing or repairing sanitation facilities and septic tanks.

While the majority of water and sanitation projects were implemented in Galle and Matara, the districts of Ampara,
Batticaloa, Tricomalee, Kaluatara, and Gampaha also benefitted from assistance in this sector. Some of these
projects include large-scale construction or expansion of water supply networks. For example, in Galle, the American
Red Cross is expanding the district’s existing water infrastructure with a new five-mile pipeline that will provide safe
water for 105,000 tsunami-affected people. The American Red Cross also helped provide drinking water and
sanitation facilities to 18 schools, protecting the health of more than 8,100 school children and teachers.

Livelihoods
According to the World Bank, the tsunami left an estimated 200,000 people in Sri Lanka without jobs or the means to
make a living. To help families and communities achieve a sustainable recovery, the American Red Cross and its
partners implemented projects to help individuals regain or improve their livelihoods. These projects have helped
61,700 people or small businesses through the provision of cash grants, capital for income-generation activities, and
trainings in business development. A Cash-For-Work program was initiated in the beginning stages of recovery to
respond to immediate needs, while two more extensive livelihoods programs were developed later by partner NGOs
to address longer-term economic sustainability.

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Shelter
The American Red Cross and its partners have built and maintained 4,600 temporary and transitional shelters, and
have provided 2,650 permanent houses in Sri Lanka. Many permanent houses were built through an innovative
owner-driven approach where families were provided cash grants and technical support for the purchase of material
and labor to build their own homes and improve household water and sanitation. This owner-driven approach, which
gives survivors control over a key component of the recovery process, allows homeowners to steer the design, pace
and extent of reconstruction and results in higher levels of homeowner satisfaction while also helping revive local
economies. The owner-driven approach was utilized to construct housing in Ampara, Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle,
Gampaha, Jaffna, Kalutara, Matara and Trincomalee.

Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Relief

To help people prepare for and respond to future disasters, the American Red Cross and SLRCS worked with
approximately 140 schools and 190 communities. Through this program, schools and communities established
disaster committees, developed local disaster plans, carried out mitigation projects and formed disaster response
teams. The program also strengthened the capacity of 11 local Red Cross branches to respond to disasters and link
communities to a national early warning system. The program began in Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, and
Matara but in late 2008 was expanded to Anuradhapura, Badulla, Matara, Polonnaruwa and Vavuniya.

In an effort to support the continuing humanitarian needs in tsunami-affected areas of Sri Lanka, the American Red
Cross established a Quick Action Fund. This fund enabled the American Red Cross to rapidly respond to urgent
needs of tsunami-affected communities that were affected by subsequent disasters, such as floods and displacement
due to the conflict. Funds were distributed through Red Cross/ Red Crescent partners and NGOs who were already
active in providing humanitarian assistance to these vulnerable populations. For example, collaboration with the
German Red Cross provided 2,000 food parcels to vulnerable families in Trincomalee affected by the conflict. Quick
Action Fund projects have met the immediate needs of thousands in Sri Lanka.

Psychosocial Support
After helping survivors cope with the initial emotional impact of the tsunami during the relief phase, the American Red
Cross and SLRCS brought people together in the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara and Matara to
rebuild their communities and help them become more resilient to future disasters. This program, which ended in
December 2008, reached more than 238,000 people in more than 80 communities and almost 80 schools through
activities and trainings which helped reestablish normal social networks, foster psychosocial well-being, build
resiliency in schools and prepare people to cope with future disasters. The program also helped the Sri Lanka Red
Cross Society develop its own long-term psychosocial support program.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
Because of the strength of the global Red Cross/Red Crescent network, the American Red Cross joined efforts with
its partners in the network and was able to respond immediately to the tsunami with funding, people and supplies.
American Red Cross staff, Red Cross/Red Crescent partners, and their local counterparts worked side by side to
deliver services to communities. Through the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,
the American Red Cross implemented six permanent housing and two water and sanitation projects throughout Sri
Lanka. The American Red Cross also implemented a permanent housing project with the Swiss Red Cross in
Trincomalee and Batticaloa and supported the International Committee of the Red Cross to help those affected by the
conflict.

The scale of devastation and massive needs caused by the tsunami also necessitated forging strong partnerships
with NGOs, UN agencies and local governments. These partnerships offered complementary technical expertise,
improved operational capacity and extended geographic coverage. The American Red Cross augmented its response
in Sri Lanka by capitalizing on external partner efficiencies and strengths in order to reach a larger number of people
with more comprehensive services.

For example, in the shelter sector the United Methodist Committee on Relief and American Red Cross partnership
constructed and rehabilitated houses and infrastructure in Batticaloa and Trincomalee. An additional partnership with
Mercy Corps supported economic recovery and development in Ampara, Hambantota, and Batticaloa through
livelihood interventions such as restarting existing businesses, revival of tourism-based local economies, revolving
fund loans, and bridge and road repair. The World Wildlife Fund assisted the American Red Cross and partners to
reduce future disaster vulnerability for communities in tsunami-affected areas by addressing economic, social, and
environmental sustainability in reconstruction.

The American Red Cross also strives to ensure project sustainability by partnering with local stakeholders. For
example, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Committee, the District Disaster Management Unit,
and other local authorities and stakeholders, communities were trained to prevent and respond to disasters over a

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period of three years. This partnership has resulted in a strengthened relationship between communities and these
stakeholders.

SPECIAL CONCERNS
Throughout its time in the country, the American Red Cross has remained vigilant in light of security issues related to
the civil conflict in Sri Lanka. The post-conflict atmosphere is being closely monitored and the American Red Cross
remains attentive to the needs of those displaced by the conflict. In the final months of implementation, the American
Red Cross is in the process of turning project components over to local partners and ensuring that all stakeholders
are informed of its exit strategy.

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 INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION
US Contact
Gregory Buie
Programs Coordinator
2381 Hylan Blvd. #13B
Staten Island, NY 10306
(718) 667-3535
coordinator@theimho.org
www.TheIMHO.org

INTRODUCTION
The International Medical Health Organization (IMHO)
is a grassroots global health nonprofit organization
based in the United States that seeks to improve and
develop health and health care infrastructure in under-
served regions worldwide. The organization was
founded in 2004 by a volunteer group of committed
doctors and other professionals across the US that
shared a vision for improved global health and medical
care. IMHO aims to improve health care across the
globe for those in need, by identifying health needs and providing resources & training to address those needs. We
believe in empowering communities to build their own health systems, improve overall health, and to respond to
health needs as they arise. In this way, we promote self-reliance and sustainability. IMHO frequently partners with
local and international non-governmental organizations to better channel assistance to needy populations.

IMHO IN SRI LANKA

IMHO is primarily focused on impoverished and disadvantaged regions of Sri Lanka, especially Northern and Eastern
Sri Lanka, where marginalized populations have endured conflict, poverty, and other hardships. IMHO works with an
extensive network of contacts on the ground, including local doctors, health care officials, government employees,
and other grassroots organizations in identifying health needs, and then providing resources and training to
accommodate those needs. The organization’s efforts are focused on the areas of: Primary Care, Nutrition, Mental
Health, Emergency Relief, Specialty Care, and Capacity-Building.

IMHO has helped to develop healthcare systems through training medical personnel and students, and providing
them with medicine and resources to better assist needy populations. IMHO has established three primary healthcare
centers and two psychiatric centers in mostly rural regions, with fully-trained staff and equipment to accommodate
basic medical needs in the area. These health workers have provided essential health education, disease prevention,
counseling, and treatment. The organization has also operated mobile clinics, to regions out of reach of the primary
care centers. Through these efforts, IMHO has provided healthcare to tens of thousands of individuals. Additionally,
IMHO responds in times of crisis, both in Sri Lanka and around the world, by helping to address the immediate health
and medical needs, providing life-saving nutrition and medicines, and providing shelter. During tsunamis, times of
flooding, and other natural and manmade disasters, IMHO has responded with emergency relief.

IMHO also works to innovatively supplement healthcare infrastructure, by providing specialized resources. IMHO has
provided medicine, medical books and software, and a myriad of surgical, health, and medical supplies. Various
efforts have been undertaken to develop health infrastructure across Sri Lanka in anesthesiology, cancer care,
cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, mental health, nephrology, pathology, pediatrics, and surgery. In
addition to this infrastructure development, IMHO has sent teams of healthcare professionals to provide direct relief
and training to local personnel to sustain healthcare work in these regions.

At present, IMHO’s top priorities for 2010 are to provide psychosocial rehabilitation & mental health services for
resettled IDPs in Northern Sri Lanka and comprehensive rehabilitation for war amputees and the disabled. These
efforts include the provision of artificial limbs, wheelchairs, orthotic & mobility devices, counseling, physical &
occupational therapy, other various forms of medical care, and general support. Other areas of focus for 2010 include
support for livelihoods, redevelopment of local health infrastructure throughout the Northeast, sanitation, and
continued development & support for local medical and health personnel.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
IMHO frequently partners with local and international non-governmental organizations to better channel assistance to
needy populations. IMHO has partnered with dozens of locally registered nonprofit organizations in Sri Lanka, as well

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as directly with hospitals & clinics, development associations, and health officials, including Regional Directors of
Health Services (under the Ministry of Health). All efforts are implemented through these local partners, while
management and oversight are provided by IMHO. IMHO also aims to cultivate sustainability in its efforts by training
and empowering local personnel with the skills necessary to serve those in need and act as agents of change within
their own communities. For a complete list of IMHO partners, please visit our website: http://www.theimho.org/field-
news/partners.

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 LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF
US Contact
Joanne Fairley
Regional Director for Asia and the Middle East
700 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 230-2808
jfairley@lwr.org
http://www.lwr.org

Field Contact
Ms. K. Thampu
Sri Lanka Country Director
410/96 Bauddhaloka Mawatha
Colombo 7, Sri Lanka
+ 94 11 2694127
+ 94 11 2698351
nalee@lwr.lankacom.net
Photo: Lutheran World Relief
INTRODUCTION
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1945 to respond to the needs of
communities devastated by World War II. Today LWR works with local implementing partners worldwide to respond
to emergencies, seek lasting solutions to rural poverty, and work for peace and justice for all. LWR believes that
alleviating suffering and poverty requires a focus on the needs of rural populations, and has committed to focusing its
work in rural areas in target countries around the world.

Using a holistic approach, LWR’s development programs build, increase and expand core community assets –
enduring resources such as labor and skills, health and a sustainable environment – needed to pursue productive
lives. As such, LWR supports development programs that attack the root causes of suffering – the environmental,
political, social and economic factors that can make certain communities vulnerable to crises or trap them in endemic
poverty. The goal is to identify local solutions to poverty that can be replicated and scaled up to reach an ever
increasing number of people.

Lutheran World Relief recognizes that working with local partners and stakeholders is the key to achieving lasting
changes that end poverty and bring justice. Our partners are local, national and international non-governmental
organizations as well as community-based organizations. We work together with trust, respect and accountability in
order to most effectively serve those for whom we work. We work alongside our partners in all phases of a LWR
project cycle and often beyond.

Mission statement: Affirming God’s love for all people, LWR works with Lutherans and partners around the world to
end poverty, injustice and human suffering.

Vision statement: Empowered by God’s unconditional love in Jesus Christ, LWR envisions a world in which each
person, every community and all generations live in justice, dignity and peace.

LWR IN SRI LANKA

LWR began working in Sri Lanka in 2005 in response to the Asian tsunami, providing emergency relief and working
with communities toward longer-term rehabilitation. Recently, LWR has also become involved in providing emergency
relief to those displaced by conflict. Current activities are located in the Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Ampara and Galle
Districts. LWR is a formally registered non-governmental organization in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, LWR works to:

Improve livelihoods through micro-credit and income-generating projects

Improve community infrastructure and community-based disaster risk management
Increase the skills and knowledge of youth through vocational training
Expand knowledge of agriculture and food production techniques
Construct and rehabilitate houses damaged by the tsunami
Provide emergency relief to people displaced by disaster and complex emergencies

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LWR currently has projects in the following sectors:

Livelihoods and access to credit

Agriculture and food production
Disaster and emergency relief
Disaster risk management
Shelter and construction
Human rights and peace building
Rural development

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
LWR works with international, national and local organizations in Sri Lanka. This partnership becomes a mutual
learning situation that allows for growth for both LWR and the partner organization, as well as capacity building for the
local organization. Below is a list of organizations we partnered with in 2009.

Eastern Self Reliant Community Awakening Organisation (ESCO)

Habaraduwa Participatory Development Foundation (HPDF)
United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR)
Eastern Human and Economic Development, Batticaloa (Caritas EHED)
Nava Jeevana Amadyapa Handa Sewaya (NJAHS)
Federation of Social Development Organization (FOSDO)
Social, Economical and Environmental Developers (SEED)
Jesuit Refugee Service – Sri Lanka (JRS)

SPECIAL CONCERNS
Lutheran World Relief maintains its support for the advocacy platform led by InterAction, including the work of the Sri
Lanka Working Group.

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 SAVE THE CHILDREN
US Contact
Erika Thrasher
Associate Director, Asia
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
(203) 221-4064
ethrasher@savechildren.org

Field Contact
Menaca Calyaneratne
Head of Realizing Child Rights
Save the Children in Sri Lanka
58A Horton Place Colombo
+ 94 11 2672668 74
menaca@savethechildren.lk
Photo: Save the Children

INTRODUCTION
Save the Children in Sri Lanka is part of International Save the Children and has been working in Sri Lanka since
1974. Save the Children works with local organizations as partners and also supports the government of Sri Lanka in
the promotion and the protection of children’s rights as stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

SAVE THE CHILDREN IN SRI LANKA

Save the Children is currently in the last year of its present Country Strategy and launching a new strategy for the
next four years.

Save the Children in Sri Lanka has been focusing on four thematic areas: Realizing Child Rights, Child Protection,
Education (Early Childhood and Basic) and Household Economic Security since 2006. A major part of Save the
Children’s work in the country has been focused on post tsunami recovery and rehabilitation, while in the last two
years much work has involved supporting the Government of Sri Lanka to provide emergency relief to thousands of
persons displaced due to the war. Child led disaster risk reduction was a cross cutting theme during the last four
years. Save the Children’s post tsunami 5 year strategy came to an end in Dec 2009.

Save the Children has offices in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar (Northern Province), Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Akkaraipattu
(Eastern Province) Matara (Southern Province) with the main office being located in Colombo, the capital of Sri
Lanka. Currently Save the Children in Sri Lanka has 125 staff members. The current program is estimated at
approximately 4.5 million GBP. Some of the major donors are Save the Children (UK, Sweden, Norway, Japan),
European Union, AUSAID, USAID, Japan Platform, UNICEF, and DFID.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
Save the Children in Sri Lanka works with the following government agencies; Ministry of Social Services and Social
Welfare, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment, Ministry of Disaster
Management and Human Rights, Zonal Departments of Education, and Divisional and District Secretariats,

Save the Children in Sri Lanka also works in partnership with FORUT, PLAN and World Vision and during
emergencies, collaborates with UN agencies and other international agencies and the government Military where it is
mandatory.

Save the Children in Sri Lanka also works with a host of community based and non-governmental organizations at
the field level.

SPECIAL CONCERNS
Sri Lanka has a strict visa policy for international staff. One person can only work in Sri Lanka for a cumulative 3
years. This prevents experienced persons from within Save the Children to return to the country if they have
already worked for 3 years in the country.
The Secretariat for the Non-Governmental Organizations has now been moved under the Ministry of Defense.
Working in the resettlement areas in the north is subject to approval from the Presidential Task Force.
A 0.09percent tax is being levied on all donor funds unless the particular donor has a bilateral agreement with the
Government of Sri Lanka.

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 SOLIDARITY CENTER
US Contact Field Contact
Tim Ryan Mifthia Jalaldeen
Regional Program Director Administrative Officer
Asia-Europe Office Solidarity Center/Sri Lanka
th
888, 16 Street NW, Suite 400 No. 30A, Pamankada Lane,
Washington, DC 20006 Colombo 6, Sri Lanka
(202) 974-8358 + 94 11 2365211
tryan@solidaritycenter.org mifthia@solidaritycenter.lk

INTRODUCTION
The American Center for International Labor Solidarity, or Solidarity Center (SC), is the international institute of the
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the largest trade union federation
in the United States, representing over 11.5 million members. The SC has offices in over twenty-seven countries
around the world and programs in over 60 countries. The SC engages in a wide range of technical assistance,
educational and other activities to promote human and worker rights globally. It has more than 20 years of experience
in addressing the areas of child labor, migrant worker exploitation and other extreme forms of labor exploitation.

SOLIDARITY CENTER IN SRI LANKA

Solidarity Center works to:

Strengthen the free and democratic labor movement in Sri Lanka

Promote the Adoption and Effective Enforcement of Core Labor Standards
Strengthen Democratic Culture and Gender Equity

Populations of focus are: workers in free trade zones and industrial parks, Sri Lankan migrants, and those intending
to work overseas as migrant workers and their family members. This project is worth $300,000 a year.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS

The SC/SL works with local and international organizations including the International Labor Organization (ILO),
International Organization for Migrants (IOM), trade unions, other non-governmental organizations and community
based organizations, and government organizations and ministries.

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 UNITED METHODIST COMMITTEE ON RELIEF
US Contact
Thomas Dwyer
Executive Director of UMCOR NGO
475 Riverside Drive, Room 1530
New York, NY 10115
(212) 870-3552
(212) 870-3508
www.umcor-ngo.org

Field Contact
Bharat Pathak,
Head of Mission
UMCOR Sri Lanka
27/1 Melbourne Avenue
Colombo 04
Sri Lanka
+94 11 550-5550
bharat@umcorsrilanka.org A well in Trincomalee District rehabilitated by UMCOR. Photo: UMCOR

INTRODUCTION
Since its establishment in 1940, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has gained extensive
experience worldwide in providing transitional development and relief assistance to communities affected by natural
and human-made crises, alleviating human suffering with open hearts to all religions and open doors to all people.
UMCOR NGO was formed in 1993 as a not-for-profit, non-proselytizing agency of the United Methodist Church to
respond to disasters of such magnitude that they overwhelm a community's ability to recover on its own. UMCOR
NGO currently maintains field missions in nine countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

UMCOR IN SRI LANKA

UMCOR established its office in Sri Lanka following the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Country operations
are based in Colombo with program offices in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Jaffna. UMCOR’s work in Sri
Lanka includes: emergency relief, housing repair and construction, supporting the restoration of basic public services
through repairs to community infrastructure, providing vocational and business skills training along with tools and
equipment to (re)establish livelihoods, and building the capacity of local institutions to independently address the
needs of tsunami and conflict affected communities. UMCOR’s work in Sri Lanka is increasingly focused on meeting
the needs of displaced and returning residents of the country’s northern districts, which were heavily affected by
decades of long war between the government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE).

In addition to funds received through the United Methodist Church and from private donors, UMCOR Sri Lanka has
received significant support from the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), the US Agency for
International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), The American Red Cross, and
Lutheran World Relief.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
Since late 2007, UMCOR has managed an umbrella grant program that enables other humanitarian agencies to
provide quick responses to the emergency needs of conflict-affected people in the North and East of Sri Lanka. The
program, funded by USAID/OFDA, supports interventions in areas such as livelihoods, water and sanitation,
protection, and emergency relief. Since the program’s inception, UMCOR has awarded grants totaling more than $6.4
million to 44 partner organizations for assistance programs throughout conflict-affected areas of Sri Lanka.

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 WORLD VISION
US Contact
Darin Hamlin
Country Program Manager
300 I Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 572-6531
dhamlin@worldvision.org
www.worldvision.lk

Field Contact
Suresh Bartlett
National Director
World Vision Sri Lanka
1119/2/1
Maradana Road
Colombo – 08
Sri Lanka
+94 11 2691233
suresh_bartlett@wvi.org
Photo: World Vision
INTRODUCTION
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their
communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision
provides hope and assistance to approximately 100 million people in nearly 100 countries. In communities around the
world, the agency joins with local people to find lasting ways to improve the lives of poor children and families.

WORLD VISION IN SRI LANKA

World Vision, which has been working in Sri Lanka since 1977, has been heavily involved in responding to the current
IDP crisis through providing food, non-food, water, shelter, and child protection programs to more than 20,000
beneficiaries both within and outside IDP camps.

Further, in partnership with the UN, CARE, and other organizations, World Vision has been at the forefront in
advocating for protection of civilians in the war-zone and in pushing for a quick return home for IDPs. As a result of
World Vision’s assistance, IDPs have seen a marked increase in the quality of services in the IDP camps and have
been better able to cope with war-related displacement and trauma.

Long-term Engagement
WV Sri Lanka operates with an ADP (Area Development Program) model that facilitates sustainable development of
the poor and marginalized within a defined geographical area, both rural and urban, through long-term participatory
planning. The ADP model represents a long-term (15 year) WV commitment and allows for the integration and
leveraging of multiple sectors, such as primary health care, agriculture, food security, water/sanitation, education, and
livelihoods. In Sri Lanka, WV supports 30 ADPs in 23 districts in 9 provinces of the country (Central, Eastern, North
Central, Northern, Northwestern, Sabaragamuwa, Southern Uva and Western). Each ADP serves approximately
50,000 to 90,000 beneficiaries.

Further, WV is addressing the roots of the conflict in its ADP programming by ensuring full participation of all ethnic
groups in program design, monitoring, and evaluation, which facilitates all groups’ access to government services and
non-government economic development, health, and education opportunities.

In the photograph above, three children in World Vision’s Jaffna Child Protection Project act out a drama on
community conflict resolution. This project aims to empower children affected by conflict to be leaders in the healing
of their communities.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
World Vision is active in the UN Cluster system and works extensively with government line ministries and other local
and international partners.

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SPECIAL CONCERNS
International NGOs (INGOs) are not routinely given full access to areas of IDP return and resettlement. Without this
access, assisting IDPs in the return or resettlement process is extremely difficult.

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