More than 300,000 civilians have become internally displaced due to Sri Lanka's recently-ended civil war. The displaced need everything; water, food, non-food items – and most importantly the possibility of returning to their home.

Approximately 300, 000 civilian victims of Sri Lanka’s civil war are living in tents in huge camps in Vavuniya, Jaffna, Trincomalee and Mannar, and are dependent on humanitarian aid.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) provides tents, water, food and non-food items as kitchen sets, sleeping mats and clothing.  However, “The needs are huge. Water is a big problem right now. It is the dry season, and people need water. They also need food, non-food items and everything else,” says Una Verdel, Project Manager DRC Sri Lanka.

“Before people get their Non-food items, their tents are empty. They have nothing, just a tent. Very few have been able to bring any belongings with them - either because they did not have any or because they were unable to carry them through the long journey. One day I saw family boiling water in a plastic bottle. The chemicals of the plastic blending in with the water, but they had absolutely nothing else to use for boiling water,” Una Verdel says.

DRC works with the internally displaced people in camps. The displaced are getting help with their basic needs, but one need is very difficult to meet – their need to get home.

“The government has stated that these camps are not to be permanent, and DRC together with other organizations are encouraging the government to follow-up on its commitment and get the return process started as soon as possible. It is not a good solution to keep people in camps for a prolonged period of time. They would have much better chances of taking care of themselves if they were back home,” says Aracely Andersen, DRC Sri Lankan Program Coordinator.

 

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