Post-War Recovery in Sri Lanka

Hello everyone!

The civil war in Sri Lanka ended in 2009, but the people of the north are still finding their way back to their normal lives. An article printed by groundviews.org brings many of the issues that the internally displaced people (IDP) are still facing to this day, and how the government is failing to do its part to help them. Many people not only lost loved ones, but also their homes and livelihoods. Many people in the northern region of Sri Lanka lack of proper sanitation, medical care, and clean water. They also bring up issues that I had never even though of, like transportation and day care centers. Without proper transport facilities, children are not able to get to schools and adults are having trouble getting to their jobs. The article suggests introducing rickshaws into the villages of the north. Rickshaws are a common form of transportation in the larger cities of Sri Lanka, and are a quick, cheap method of transportation. Not only would this alleviate the transportation issue, but it would also create jobs for people as drivers of the rickshaws. However right now, the government has kept its focus on the military and the incoming investigation by the UN into the country’s military tactics during the war and has put these displaced peoples aside. For this reason, much of the rehabilitation efforts have been taken on by various NGOs.

The organization I will be working with this summer, Sarvodaya, has been focusing its efforts on helping the displaced northerners in recent years. They run projects bringing food, fresh water, sanitation, health services, and educational activities to nine different IDP sites in the north. I will be primarily working with the community health unit, which provides check-ups for the villagers, as well as health education programs specifically targeted at women and adolescents. Access to good medical care was an issue for the villagers even before the war started, and now that it has torn through the region, it is even worse. Doctors are very hard to come by, and medication is not readily available to most people. Sarvodaya works with the bigger hospitals in Sri Lanka to bring doctors and medical kits to the north, where it is most needed.

http://groundviews.org/2012/09/22/rehabilitation-of-sri-lankan-war-victims-why-ngos-should-co-ordinate/