Sarvodaya has extended its relief work to IDPs in Pulmodai in Trincomalee district, in addition to its relief work in Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna and Padaviya districts.
Sarvodaya has been in the forefront of the recent emergency response to the massive displacement in north. The organization, working through its district centers in Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna, Padaviya and Trincomalee, rallied the support of many different donors and dipped in its own resources to provide food and non-food items as well as water and sanitation services to the thousands of displaced families now living in sites. You can view some of our general operational areas on the interactive map below.
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What We Do
Sarvodaya involvement consists of provision of following services to the IDPs in Vavuniya, Mannar, Padaviya, Jaffna districts and in Pulmodai in Trincomalee district. The services are listed according to the magnitude of Sarvodaya’s involvement in each category.
Food and non-food relief items
Food relief involves provision of cooked food parcels to the IDP sites, communal cooking inside the sites and provision of dry food rations. At the beginning, food was prepared at Sarvodaya District Centers and was transported to the sites. Presently food has been prepared inside the sites. Sarvodaya District Center staff and Sarvodaya Shanthi Sena volunteers are involved in the process.
Non-Food Relief Items (NFRI) includes pregnant mothers’ kits, infant kits, children education kits, men and women kits, recreational kits, mats, bed sheets, mosquito nets etc. Each of these kits contains basic essential items in the category such as clothes, toothpaste and tooth brushes, soap and shampoo, sanitary items, cups and plates, books and pencils etc.
Nutrition
Sarvodaya will partner with Family Health Bureau (FHB) of Ministry of Health and Nutrition to run 16 Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers in the IDP sites in Vavuniya. This programme will target an estimated 5,000 children between ages 0-5 who are having moderate to severe malnutrition.
Water and Sanitation
Sarvodaya is playing key role in providing and improving water and sanitation services in IDP sites in partnership with Oxfam. These include construction of temporary latrines and bathing sites, setting up water treatment plants and water filters, provision of hygiene NFRI which includes soap, shampoo, washing powder, sanitary napkins etc., conducting public health promotion activities and awareness campaigns with volunteer groups and improvement of drainage in the sites.
Health
Volunteers have been trained and mobilized to promote primary health care among IDPs in the sites. Additionally Sarvodaya staff and Shanthi Sena volunteers have been trained in life skill and psychosocial development.
Protection
Sarvodaya, on a national level is the only non-governmental local organization to represent the Task Force formed to monitor and report the violations against the children affected by armed conflicts under the United National Security Council Resolution 1612. Sarvodaya will implement its programmes to ensure a secure environment, specially targeting the vulnerable groups in IDP community such as children, widows and differently able persons. Soon after the emergency relief activities, Sarvodaya Legal Services Movement will look into the lost documents of the IDPs.
Shelter
Right at the moment Sarvodaya has not committed in providing immediate shelters for the IDPs but Sarvodaya keeps good track record in housing construction in the times of post-Tsunami by Sarvodaya Rural technical Services. The eco-friendly village constructed in Damniyamgama in Kalutara district is considered as architectural master piece in introducing eco-friendly village concept to Sri Lanka.
In the times to come, Sarvodaya plans to construct 500 temporary shelter in partnership with Oxfam in Vavuniya.
Educational activities
Sarvodaya Early Childhood Development Unit is ready with a work plan and a curriculum recognized by National Institute of Education and other expertise to develop the psychosocial standard of children in the IDP sites. Additionally they are in a process of forming Mothers’ Groups and Children’s Groups (Singithi Havul or the Clubs) in the IDP sites so they will be more organized to plan and implement educational activities for the children.
Where We Work
Vavuniya
The total number of IDP sites in Vavuniya is 29 (UNOCHA) and Sarvodaya works in 9 IDP sites namely Tamil Maha Vidyalayam (Primary), Saivapragasam Maha Vidyalayam, Nellukulam Maha Vidyalayam, Poonthotam College of Education, Kanthapuram Maha Vidyalayam, Manik Farm Zone 1, 2, 3 and 4, serving approximately 30,000 families.
Mannar
Mannar previously had 17 IDP sites but presently the total number of IDP sites in Mannar is 4 and Sarvodaya works in all 4 sites, which serve 719 persons belong to 167 families. In addition to the provision of dry rations to 884 IDP families in the past months, Sarvodaya had also provided 530 pregnant mothers’ kits, 1,150 infant kits, 220 family kits, 172 NFRI packs which included clothes, sanitary items, soap, mosquito nets, slippers, bed sheets and towels etc.
Padaviya
Sarvodaya has completed the construction of Mini-surgical Theater and Emergency Traetment Unit at Padaviya District Hospital on the request of Ministry of Health which cost approximately 3.2 million rupees. The facility was handed over to the Padaviya District Hospital on 25th May, 2009.
Jaffna
The total number of IDP sites in Jaffna is 13, which include 5 Emergency Accommodation Sites and 3 Transitional Shelter Sites and Sarvodaya works in 1 Emergency Accommodation Site, Kodikamam Thirunavukarasu Maha Vidyalayam which serve 703 families.
Pulmodai
The IDP site in Sahanagama in Pulmodai, Trincomalee accommodates 2,300 IDPs in blocks C and D and Sarvodaya has provided non-food relief items including baby kits, bed sheets, shorts, baby mosquito nets, mats and soft toys to IDP families. Recently Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne paid a visit to Pulmodai IDP sites.
Latest Statistics
You can access the latest information about Sarvodaya work by clicking on following links (Updated as at 01st June, 2009).
For the latest statistics of Sarvodaya work in Vavuniya, please click here.
For the latest statistics of Sarvodaya work in Mannar, please click here.
For the latest statistics of Sarvodaya work in Padaviya, please click here.
For the latest statistics of Sarvodaya work in Jaffna, please click here.
For the latest statistics of Sarvodaya work in Pulmodai, Trincomalee, please click here.
Latest Updates
The latest updates on the emergency humanitarian situation in the North of Sri Lanka are available with the Joint Humanitarian Reports of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Please click following links for details.
The daily updates of the Vanni emergency situation were available with the Emergency Situation Reports of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Please click following links for details.
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 1 – 27 April 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 2 – 28 April 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 3 – 29 April 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 4 – 30 April 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 5 – 03 May 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 6 – 04 May 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 7 – 06 May 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 8 – 07 May 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 9 – 11 May 2009
Situation Report: Vanni Emergency Situation Report # 10 – 12 May 2009
Useful web links:
Visit the following websites for more information on the present humanitarian situation in North of Sri Lanka.
Humanitarian Portal Sri Lanka (UNOCHA)
http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/srilanka_hpsl/
Reliefweb International