Emergency Relief Programme for children in Sri Lanka

On 27 May, SOS Children Sri Lanka National Director Ananda Karunarathne and Deputy National Director Mr Divakar Ratnadurai were able to visit Vavuniya (70 km north of Anuradhapura), a town situated in the Northern Province, together with the Minister of Justice and Law Reform. The visit was successful and SOS Children Sri Lanka was given the go-ahead to be the first organisation in the field of child care which is permitted to enter the IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps and help for children in need. SOS Children is in the process of obtaining approval from the authorities in Chettikulam and Colombo to visit Chettikulam regularly as and when necessary. The army personnel at Chettikulam have agreed to provide security clearance for SOS staff to enter the IDP camps.

The planned emergency relief of SOS Children Sri Lanka for single orphans, double orphans and displaced children separated from their families is as follows:

• Short-term care (two to three months)Temporary accommodation for children in a safe area of the IDP camps and the tracking of the families of the separated children.
• Medium-term care (five to six months)SOS Children will continue to make all efforts to reunite children with their biological families and accommodate children whose situation has not yet been clarified in a safer environment and find a solution in the best interests of each individual child. Children needing medium-term or long-term care could possibly be accommodated in the SOS Children's Village Nuwara Eliya. In addition, a house in town could be rented if the number of double orphans cannot be cared for within the existing facilities.
• Long-term planning:After six months when we have a clear picture on long-term needs, SOS Children will consider setting-up an SOS Children's Village.This would however depend on various issues including the security situation and the number of children in need.

SOS Children Sri Lanka has been given a ten acre plot of land to start the proposed temporary care programme where more IDPs will be temporary settled. SOS Children plan to erect the shelters with the help of the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB), the government agency which has been appointed to build temporary structures for IDPs.

Please contact us on 01223 365 589 or email if you would like to donate to SOS Children to help us in our relief efforts.