EU delegation calls for closer relief coordination
 

BY CHANDANI Jayatilleke

A visiting European Parliamentary delegation has called for better co-ordination and communication in the tsunami aid effort to avoid confusion and competition among NGOs which have resulted in duplication of work and the neglect of some sections of the affected people.

The delegation said it appreciates the work done by the Government in providing basic relief to tsunami victims and maintaining an acceptable level of public health in the wake of such an unprecedented disaster.

The delegation pledged to commit themselves in their parliamentary activity in making the European public aware that a lot of people still need help following the tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka.

The delegation would also continue to work with the Government and ensure that there is a better strategy to provide relief and assistance to the needy, avoid creating imbalance and tensions and contribute to better living conditions and effective long term recovery efforts.

At the conclusion of their visit to Sri Lanka, the delegation leader Neena Gill told the Daily News that they would communicate their findings and conclusions to the European Commission, which manages the budgets for humanitarian and reconstruction aid.

They also expressed their support for the establishment of a joint mechanism to ensure equitable allocation of funds for reconstruction to all districts and communities, according to their needs.

The visiting delegation - a working group from the European Parliament for relations with the countries of South Asia and SAARC - was in Sri Lanka from March 21 to 25.

The group led by Neena Gill (UK), chairperson of the delegation included six other Members of the European Parliament (MEPs): Jan Mulder (the Netherlands), Jo Leinen (Germany), Thomas Mann (Germany), Jean Lambert (UK), Eoin Ryan (Ireland) and Ivo Belet (Belgium).

The group visited the Sri Lankan parliament and met the Deputy Speaker and members from all political parties besides a meeting with Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

During their stay in the island, the group visited several tsunami-affected villages and camps in Galle and Trincomalee - and observed the implementation of assistance projects funded by the EU - among all three communities.

The group also had extensive discussions with a number of field operation managers from various NGOs and UN agencies operating in all provinces with the tsunami-affected and the war-affected.

"These groups confirmed that they had been able to carry out relief work in LTTE-controlled areas as well as in Government-controlled areas without encountering an obstacle from either side," Gill said in an interview shortly before her departure for Brussels where she is based.

Referring to the reconstruction work she said: "We appreciate the work done so far to provide basic relief, maintaining an overall acceptable level of public health. Government agencies, various international organisations and local NGOs involved in such work have done much work in the affected areas."

"But we were surprised to notice that despite the size of the problem and the amount of funds available, little of subsequent necessary reconstruction work has been started. We understand it is a huge task and a challenge. But things are moving very slowly," she said.

This appears to be due mostly to the absence of a clear perspective on land ownership or clearance, especially given the new circumstances created by the obligation to relocate outside the immediate coastal area, according to Gill.

"We feel that faster decisions on the field could be easier with a provincial coordination network for the reconstruction work. More coordination in the affected areas is a necessity in our opinion. So that all communities and local community groups and the affected people can work in a better manner to resettle their lives," she said.

It is important to get the affected people to work and provide them with the necessary means to earn their livelihood by themselves, rather than continuing free food and free shelter in camps.

Another important requirement that they noted was the need to ensure all children attended school in a proper way, and have the necessary transport means. Children should be able to continue their education without any hassle.

According to the parliamentary group the information on needs and actions should be channelled to easily contactable contact points so as to ensure that NGO aid is directed to those areas that need it most, avoid duplications and delays in the use of available funds.

"As of now, there is competition among the NGOs to provide relief and to support the affected communities in certain areas resulting in more assistance in some areas while others are being deprived. There should be more communication and coordination to handle the reconstruction work at this level.

In the international scene, the nations and agencies are working together. But, it appears that the things are different in the local scene.

"In certain areas, where we travelled, we noticed that public sympathy for tsunami victims has taken attention away from other sections of the community who had been suffering for various reasons such as war and poverty," according to Gill.

The delegation also observed that because of the tsunami, other development projects and community issues have been largely affected. The poor who had not been directly affected by the tsunami feel that they have been neglected.

Certain villagers and communities, both in the North/East and the South feel that they have been left out. Therefore, it is also necessary for the Government and the agencies to continue other development projects besides tsunami relief programs. We need to look beyond the tsunami reconstruction as well, she observed.

The parliamentary group intends to address these issues more forcefully when they return to Brussels and ensure that the right strategies are in place and a distribution mechanism between the Government and the LTTE works well, benefiting those who really need support.

"Our hope is that both parties will recognise this need and make use of the funds that are available - to support the people in Sri Lanka - the people they represent.

"For our part we will take up certain issues with international NGOs and find out how their work could be done more effectively. We are hoping to continuously monitor the progress here and plan to come back at the end of the year, she said.

Concluding the interview she said that Sri Lanka should find ways to overcome the tsunami tragedy, by making use of the available funds and resources, as they wish to see the island becoming the hub of trade and investment in South Asia in the future.