Tsunami livelihood restoration to be expedited

COLOMBO: The Livelihood Division of the Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) to work together in a structured manner to achieve a series of objectives and to expedite the restoration of livelihoods in the tsunami affected districts.

Chief Operating Officer of RADA, Saliya Wickramasuriya and Executive Director, CHA, Jeevan Thiagarajah, signed the MoU at the Sri Lanka Institute of International Relations (SLIIR).

RADA, which was established in November 2005 under a Presidential directive, is the successor to Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN). RADA's Livelihood Division with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) is currently implementing the Income Recovery Programme in support of the livelihood recovery of the tsunami affected communities. This programme consists of three main components: social protection; community infrastructure recovery and economic development.

CHA has established the Human Security Response Programme, which is aimed at facilitating and strengthening partnerships and coordination for humanitarian action to ensure that tsunami response makes a significant and positive contribution for tsunami survivors.

RADA and CHA have common interest in ensuring that effective coordination taking place at divisional, district and national level. Effective partnerships between key stakeholders involved in livelihoods recovery activities are vital in expediting the reconstruction process, the organizations said.

Through the MoU, RADA and CHA have agreed to strengthen district coordination capacity through increasing effectiveness of district livelihood coordination meetings. The two organisations also agreed to cooperate in the dissemination of information in relation to the supply and demand of livelihood recovery activities at district and divisional levels.

The MoU is expected to strengthen national coordination mechanisms through improved linkages between the key stakeholders involved in the livelihood recovery activities and optimize resource management in knowledge sharing and dissemination of relevant resource materials.

The two parties further agreed to create public awareness on services and facilities available to tsunami affected communities.

Clearing houses will be established to facilitate the exchange of and access to relevant information on key sectors coming from private and public sectors and also the NGO Community, RADA said, expressing confidence that the MoU will further expedite the restoration of livelihoods in the tsunami affected districts.