Call for more positive role from INGOs

Follows ICRC's refusal to escort civilian ferry

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The Government is to call for a more positive role from International Non Government Organisations (INGO) operating in the country in the interest of humanitarian requirements during the present crisis period without succumbing to the pressures of single organisation that prevents them from fulfilling their role.

According to sources, the Government will hold a meeting with all international NGOs today at the Presidential Secretariat to highlight this point to the INGOs and to discuss the present situation in the country.

The Government's decision to call for a more positive role from the INGOs was taken following the ICRC's refusal to escort the Navy vessel transporting around 800 civilians trapped in Jaffna to Trincomalee due to the closure of the A-9 road. According to Government officials, the ICRC having succumbed to the pressures of the LTTE has refused to escort the Navy vessel under the ICRC flag to facilitate the humanitarian mission undertaken by the Sri Lanka Navy.

The Government maintains that all INGOs operating in the country should work according to the Government requirements in the event of a humanitarian crisis and they should follow the instructions given by the Government and not by the LTTE as in the case of ICRC.

The Government has also given deep thought to dissolve institutions like the Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA) and to transfer full powers to Secretaries and Government Agents since the INGOs have not fulfilled their task during the current crisis period.

"Only the Government Agents and other Government officials are performing this task during this period," an official said.

The Government is closely following the World Food Programme's activities as it has run out of food stocks during the present crisis despite receiving US $ 350 million to provide relief for the internally displaced due to the recent conflict.

The attitude of the NGOs who want to keep the internally displaced people in refugee camps has also been criticised by the Government as it firmly believes that provision of assistance for them should be done after they are resettled in their original habitats.