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 As of 30th November,
about 134,790 IDPs still remain in camps. Of this,
125,714 people are located in Menik Farm; 3996 in Jaffna; 2276 in Mannar and 2804 in Trincomalee.
So far, about 120,185 people has returned with an additional 28,597 people
released from Menik Farm back to their areas of
origin in Jaffna, Mannar, the Eastern part, Mullativu and Killinochi. The
resettlement process of the Government of Sri Lanka has accelerated during
the last few weeks, with another 35,000 – 40,000 to be released again from
the IDP camps in Menik Farm before the end of the
year.
For WHO, we have been working in tandem with the MOH to
provide health care services to the displaced population since the armed
conflict accelerated early this year until its end in May 2009. In fact, a
contingency plan has already been in fruition since September last year,
where several health scenarios have been established with strategies to
address each scenario by MOH and WHO with health partners. The strong trust
and cooperation between WHO and MOH, resulted in the provision of a strong
health cluster mechanism for health partners to assist the needs and gaps
identified by the MOH in health care service provision for the displaced
population being accommodated in Menik Farm. This
includes the establishment of primary health care units and mobile health
clinics in all the IDP zones; the strengthening of district and base
hospitals serving as referral hospitals for the zones; an functioning
emergency ambulance service for the IDPs; a  functioning communicable disease
surveillance and response system that resulted in no outbreak of any diseases
in the camps; curative and rehabilitative services available for people with
disabilities; care for the elderly population; community based care and
referral system for people with mental health and psychosocial needs;
reproductive care and emergency obstetric care for pregnant mothers; and over
95% of children in these camps receiving routine immunization.
The challenge for the MOH, WHO and all health partners
is ensuring the same primary and secondary health care services will be
available for the displaced people upon their return to their areas of
origin. As an initial step, WHO is participating in all MOH organized field
missions to assess the existing health structure in the areas of return. So far, 7 assessments have been conducted in Mannar, Killinochchi and Mullaitivu districts to assess the available human
resources and the health structures remaining after the end of the conflict.
Most of these health facilities are severely damaged and would need a lot of
rehabilitative and construction activities. In the meantime therefore, mobile
clinics are being provided to the resettlement areas where no central
dispensaries are present and this shall continue until the primary health
care structure can be re-established. Additional medical doctors are being
mobilized to support the district hospitals in Killinochchi
and Mullaitivu as well. Although there are many
assessments still to be organized, WHO is already in discussion with the MOH
on aspect on the mobilization of temporary staff to the resettlement areas
and the capacity building of MOH staff as well with the different MOH units.
Please also refer to the Sri
Lanka Humanitarian Snapshot on the UNOCHA website at www.hpsl.lk
for additional information.
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