Almost
two and a half years on and the reconstruction of Sri Lanka’s
shattered coastline remains a daunting task, with the job of
rebuilding over 100,000 houses set to continue beyond 2007.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
is playing its part by supporting the reconstruction of almost
26,000 homes. But meeting this challenge has required new approaches
and the forging of new alliances with other organizations.
In most cases reconstruction led by home-owners themselves has
proved to be more economical and faster than using building
contractors. Recognizing this, the International Federation
and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society has joined forces with UN-HABITAT
to create the Community Recovery and Reconstruction Partnership
(The Partnership).
The Partnership represents a unique alliance of international
organizations working closely together to deliver a 60.5 million
Swiss franc ($50 million USD/ €36.7 million) package of
financial, organizational and technical support to help more
than 10,000 families to rebuild their own homes.
Seven Red Cross Societies are funding The Partnership. The International
Federation is coordinating the overall programme while the Sri
Lanka Red Cross is mobilizing communities through its network
of district offices. UN-HABITAT brings its extensive experience
in owner-driven housing and community development and the World
Bank/IDA is providing expertise in running the large-scale grants
disbursement programme through the local banking system. The
government is taking responsibility for beneficiary verification
and is disbursing funds directly into peoples’ bank accounts.
“The Partnership moves way beyond the traditional approach
taken by the Red Cross to post disaster reconstruction programmes”,
explains Al Panico, the International Federation’s head
of delegation in Sri Lanka. “We aren’t just focused
on bricks and mortar. We’ve developed Community Development
Councils which give families ownership and responsibility over
their own recovery. The aim is to leave behind strong, sustainable
communities. This is the main reason that we decided to partner
with UN-HABITAT who have developed a tried and tested approach.”
In the southern district of Matara, the French and Belgian Red
Cross Societies are funding local NGO, the Solideal Loadstar
Rehabilitation Trust, to build over 150 new homes. It was an
obvious match. Loadstar is a local organization with Belgian
affiliations. They had the construction experience and manpower
on the ground to get the job done quickly and efficiently. The
Belgian Red Cross had the funding as well as ongoing construction
projects in other parts of the District.
Further north in Trincomalee District the Swiss and Austrian
Red Cross Societies took a slightly different approach. They
joined forces with Swiss Development Cooperation, Swiss Solidarity
and HEKS, a Swiss church organization, to form the Swiss Development
Consortium which has helped over 3,000 families to rebuild their
homes. The rebuilding effort is being led by individual households
who are receiving grants and technical support through the Consortium.
The International Federation has also made significant commitments
to help restore and develop the water supply infrastructure
along Sri Lanka’s coastal belt. Nineteen major projects
amounting to 40 million Swiss francs ($33 million USD/ €24.25
million) are currently underway in cooperation with the government’s
National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB).
One of these projects involves the construction of a brand new
water supply and treatment plant together with a water tower
and pipeline network that will deliver clean drinking water
to more than 9,000 households in Pottuvil, in the eastern district
of Ampara. Until now the residents of Pottuvil have relied upon
hand-dug household wells for washing, cooking and eating. The
area bore the full force of the tsunami which contaminated most
of the wells leaving the Red Cross with the job of tankering
in fresh water for the local population until local water quality
improved. Seasonal droughts also pose a threat with well water
becoming increasingly salty as groundwater levels are depleted.
Because of the high costs involved, the two year construction
project involves the collaboration of USAID, the NWSDB and five
separate Red Cross partners. USAID is constructing the production
and treatment plant with funding for the water tower and pipeline
network being provided by the American, German and Irish Red
Cross Societies. The German Red Cross is assuming responsibility
for the overall management of the project and the Irish Red
Cross is providing a delegate to supervise construction in the
field. The International Federation and the Sri Lanka Red Cross
developed the project and are acting as the main link with the
NWSDB at central and district levels.
“This is a huge project that draws upon the collective
expertise and resources of Red Cross partners, the government
and USAID,” explains Fidel Pena, the International Federation’s
water and sanitation coordinator. “Good coordination at
every level will be essential between all the partners to make
sure that the different stages of the project come together
at the right time.”
Partnerships have not only been forged in response to the tsunami.
The resurgence of the conflict in the North and East of Sri
Lanka has led to a working alliance between Red Cross partners
and the UN that is helping to provide regular food rations to
almost 100,000 internally displaced people. The Sri Lanka Red
Cross together with the German Red Cross and the Hong Kong branch
of the Red Cross Society of China has been actively involved
in the World Food Programme’s (WFP) food distribution
programme in Batticaloa district which began last September
when the conflict intensified around the town of Vaharai.
“It’s a high impact project that has been well coordinated
between all the agencies. The situation is very changeable but
good cooperation amongst all the partners has meant that we’ve
been able to adapt the programme accordingly,” says Tim
Hibbert, Country Coordinator of the Hong Kong Red Cross.
Everyone has a role to play. The International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) has stepped in to contribute to shortages
in the food pipeline and is involved in coordination and security
clearance. The Sri Lanka Red Cross provides the manpower to
help with distributions, WFP provides the food and the German
and Hong Kong Red Cross provide funding, transportation and
logistics infrastructure. On average, Red Cross volunteers have
been carrying out more than 100 food distributions each month.
“The direction that we’ve taken in Sri Lanka has
set the tone for future large-scale relief and recovery operations”,
explains Al Panico. “The sheer scale of the challenge
here has meant that we’ve had to combine our experience
and expertise with the strengths of other organizations. This
has not only been a valuable learning experience – it’s
helped us to deliver better services to the vulnerable communities
that we are working with.”
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With
Red Cross Red Crescent support the World Food Programme
(WFP) food distribution programme is reaching almost 100,000
displaced people in and around Batticaloa on the country's
east coast. (p15715)
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The International Federation and the Sri Lanka Red Cross
Society has joined forces with UN-HABITAT to create the
Community Recovery and Reconstruction Partnership. The
Partnership emphasises community empowerment and is supporting
10,000 families to rebuild their own homes. (p15705)
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“The
Partnership moves way beyond the traditional approach
taken by the Red Cross to post disaster reconstruction
programmes”, explains Al Panico, the International
Federation’s head of delegation in Sri Lanka. “We’ve
developed Community Development Councils which give families
ownership and responsibility over their own recovery.
The aim is to leave behind strong, sustainable communities."
(p15706)
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Sri
Lanka Red Cross Society teams have helped to clean almost
5,000 contaminated wells in Pottuvil as well as other
tsunami affected towns and villages. In cooperation with
the government's National Water Supply and Drainage Board
(NWSDB), the International Federation is helping to restore
and develop the water and sanitation infrastructure along
Sri Lanka's stricken coastline. (p15712)
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The
Red Cross Red Crescent has partnered with a variety of
organisations to conduct skills based vocational training
programmes that have helped to get individuals affected
by the tsunami back to work. (p15709)
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