The tsunami struck a relatively thin but extremely long coastal area in
Sri Lanka, stretching over 1,000 kilometers, or two thirds of the
country's coastline. The damage stretches from Jaffna in the north down
the entire eastern and southern coast, and covers the west coast as far
north of Colombo as Chilaw. There are over 31,000 dead, 5,000 missing,
15,000 injured according to official reports. The estimated numbers of
displaced persons are 443,000, and the population affected could be
between 1 million and 2 million of Sri Lanka's total population of
about 19 million.

About 100,000 houses were damaged; of which more than 75,000 were
completely destroyed. Coastal infrastructure (roads, railway, power,
telecommunication, water supply, fishing ports) was also significantly
affected. Fisheries, and small-scale retail trade have been hit hard.
10 out of 12 major fishery harbors were damaged including support
facilities such as ice plants, cold rooms, fish receiving and marketing
centers and offices. Preliminary figures from the UN show that 22,940
vessels of various categories were lost or damaged. This constitutes
81% of total number of fishing vessels in the country. The fishing
population suffered 7,573 deaths; 5,686 missing, and 90,657 displaced.
Coastal infrastructure (roads, railway, power, telecommunication, water
supply, fishing ports) has been significantly affected.

The devastating effects of the catastrophe could add around 250,000
more poor people to a nation that is already struggling with the
effects of civil conflict compounded by poverty.
Humanitarian assistance in Sri Lanka has thus been subjected to
profound and dramatic change in the wake of the Tsunami. An
unprecedented number of people have been  caught in, and made
vulnerable by, civil conflict and the Tsunami has resulted in  large
numbers being killed, maimed and displaced and vital means of survival
being destroyed.

There are obvious limitations to the capacity of humanitarian
organizations to assist people whose usual means of coping has been
violently disrupted or destroyed by the Tsunami. A major challenge for
these organizations is safeguarding norms, safeguarding the well-being
of civilians and the provision of assistance in a manner consistent
with humanitarian principles.

In addition, the international community is faced with the paradox of
needing ever larger resources to address the immediate survival needs
of victims while simultaneously recognizing that such action may
deflect attention and support from initiatives essential to undoing the
root causes of vulnerability and strife. The onslaught of sudden
crises, new challenges and competing needs have repeatedly highlighted
the importance of a well-organized and adequately resourced mechanism
for coordination, both within the multi-actor humanitarian arena in Sri
Lanka.

The volatile context within which humanitarian assistance is provided
is a major determinant in the overall capacity to preempt and respond
to crises in a manner which minimizes avoidable suffering. The violence
of civil conflict is compounded by the devastation caused, and the
number of people affected, by the Tsunami. While much worthwhile action
has been taken to improve the response capacity, there are, none the
less, major challenges which need to be addressed in the dramatically
changed climate of the post-tsunami-civil-conflict era.

The limited means of humanitarian organizations to provide protection
is highlighted in the conflict setting. Finding the means to reach
those in need without entrenching the power of abusive elements is one
of the most difficult challenges facing the humanitarian community in
Sri Lanka.

Disrespect for humanitarian norms in conflict ridden areas is likely to
have a negative impact on the capacity of organizations to protect and
provide assistance to Tsunami survivors. Dependence on the agreement of
armed groups often makes the provision of humanitarian assistance
tenuous and subject to highly volatile conditions. Safeguarding the
concept and reality of "humanitarian space" when the needs of Tsunami
-affected communities are deemed secondary to military priorities is
one of the most significant challenges currently confronting the
humanitarian community.

The ability of the humanitarian community effectively to assist Tsunami
affected communities to move from relief assistance to steps towards
rebuilding a civil society depends on the political resolve of the
international community to address fully the underlying civil conflict.
This ability is also affected by the intricate process of identifying,
engaging with and making accountable local community authorities and
structures. In this context, it is often difficult to define the
appropriate transition away from humanitarian operations.

Until recently, traditional wisdom argued that responsibility for the
convalescence of a society was transferred from humanitarian actors to
development partners in a linear progression along what was called the
"relief to development continuum." The assumption was that such baton
hand-overs could be accomplished smoothly and that donor momentum or
interest would remain constant throughout the process. In fact, in many
situations, success by the international community in stabilizing the
humanitarian crisis is not accompanied by longer-term political
stability. Protracted political instability often results in a
reduction of international assistance, thus limiting resources
available to support a transition to recovery.

Difficulties which have to be addressed in dealing with recovery and
transition include:
(a) A perceived scarcity of empowered local leadership able to interact
with the international community to take over and guide the transition
process;
(b) Donor fatigue due to a protracted conflict that seems to lead
nowhere;
(c) An absence of significant donor resources for the rehabilitation
and recovery phases.

Most donor funds are earmarked for either Tsunami assistance or
long-term development.  The goodwill associated with the successful
international Tsunami relief operation provides a window of opportunity
upon which the international community must capitalize. The  goodwill
of armed groups and their willingness to compromise among their own
members and with others will be lost if resources for recovery and
follow-up support are not forthcoming in a timely manner.

To begin to address these problems, the international community should
focus on the sustainability of the impact of humanitarian assistance,
especially through the empowerment of local authorities and structures.
Supporting local structures in their efforts to guide the humanitarian
endeavor will greatly enhance the international community's ability to
address the essence of conflict and to identify and support
opportunities for diffusing tensions. Continued support to
representative local structures beyond the emergency relief stage
through the recovery process has the potential to assist nascent and
fragile peace efforts to flourish.

One critical constraint which organizations of the system face in a
period of transition is the availability of upfront resources to
address immediate recovery needs. This could be critical to stabilizing
and improving the fragile situations in Sri Lanka. Experience has shown
that the response of donors to longer-term rehabilitation requirements
often takes time. Despite recognition of the importance of
rehabilitation and confidence-building measures, there is a dramatic
dearth of funding for such activities. It is important that funds which
can be accessed quickly are set aside for immediate rehabilitation
activities. Even when donor support for rehabilitation programmes
exists, the funding mechanisms are often too slow to maintain the
necessary momentum to break the cycle of violence or address the
conditions that perpetuate stability. The window of opportunity for
such activities, is limited and should be fully utilized.

The humanitarian agenda is shaped by political attitudes, strategic
interests in specific areas and the attention span of the media. Such
factors, which are for the most part beyond the control of humanitarian
organizations, play an important role in the level of attention and
support provided to victims. Ideally, assistance would be provided
according to need and the core principle of impartiality would have
greater relevance.

It is critically important that the international community
acknowledges the vital but limited role of humanitarian action in the
complex crises in Sri Lanka. It is equally important to ensure that
humanitarian programmes are not used as a substitute for action needed
to reverse the dynamics of war and the circumstances which led to armed
conflict.

The major obstacle facing humanitarian organizations is the absence of
sufficient political will and support for action to address the
underlying causes of crises. The provision of humanitarian assistance
in a vacuum is tantamount to managing only the symptoms of a crisis.
The effectiveness of humanitarian endeavors in the conflict setting in
Sri Lanka is largely predicated on successful action by the
international community to resolve the problems that provoked the
crisis. However, notwithstanding the importance of support from the
international community, it has to be recognized that it is the people
of Sri Lanka who are primarily responsible for their own recovery and
that of their communities.

In sum, humanitarian organizations in Sri Lanka have to reassess the
processes that shape the nature and impact of their interventions for
Tsunami survivors in conflict ridden zones and arrive at a community
based empowerment approach with a human rights perspective that
addresses the issue of community development using a psychosocial
platform with an undercurrent of peace building.

Dr. U. Gauthamadas