Talk of the town Or City of Batticaloa by S.Jeyasankar

Talk of the town
Or
City of Batticaloa

Tsunami affected people are
In a hurry to pack their things
And to be shifted to another camp
May be the third or fourth one
Within a month

Organizations are busy with
Putting up billboards
And recruiting youths
To implement their mandates and
To expand their programs

People are in a hurry to pack their things
And to be shifted to another camp
May be the third or fourth one
Within a month

Trauma and counseling are
The talk of the town


People are in a hurry to pack their things
And to be shifted to another camp
May be the third or fourth one
Within a month

The voice of resistance
To the ill treatment of the people
Are not in mandates or in programs
And died down with the people
And a few concerned


People are in a hurry to pack their things
And to be shifted to another camp
May be third or fourth one
Within a month

Tidal waves of
The artificial tsunamis
Attacking again and again

People are in a hurry to pack their things
And to be shifted to another camp
May be third or fourth one
Within a month

Media Moguls
Rush to tsunami relief
Right to information not in their agenda
But they keep the country
With their propaganda


People are in a hurry to pack their things
And to be shifted to another camp
May be third or fourth one
Within a month


S.Jeyasankar 26.01.2005

WCDM-Batticaloa influencing Shelter Task Force and Batticaloa GA's statement on current resettlement processes

While working to provide assistance to families affected by the tsunami, there was a growing feeling among women's groups and civil society groups in Batticaloa that decisions were being made at a district and national level without any consultation with local populations and local organizations. There was also a strong feeling among local women's groups in Batticaloa that gender issues and women's rights were being completely overlooked. Therefore there was a move to draft a memorandum listing all the concerns related to women in the resettlement process. Six organisations working on gender issues in Batticaloa participated for the first meeting, which was held on the 10th January 2005 and at that meeting the Women's Coalition for Disaster Management- Batticaloa (WCDM) was formed. All those present agreed to the memorandum and ultimately 12 organisations signed on as members of the WCDM-Batticaloa. This was then sent to government representatives, the Task Forces established under the Kachcheri, INGOs and the Media.

One of the issues mentioned in the memorandum was that in decision-making processes about designing temporary and semi permanent shelters and in moving displaced populations out of their current accommodation, there was very little consultation and information dissemination to the affected people.

As a response to the Memorandum, the German Technical Corporation (GTZ) who is the INGO partner of the Task Force on Shelter, invited representatives of the WCDM - Batticaloa to raise our concerns at the meeting. Two members of the committee, equipped with two reports done through small scale interviews with the women living in the camps, and international documents such as the Sphere Guidelines on Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, went for the meeting on the 20th of January 2005.

As a result of their interventions the Task Force on Shelter decided to formulate a Sub Committee on Shelter, to put forward the views of local organizations and come up with recommendations to make the process more humane. This Sub Committee comprised of a cross section of civil society actors and international organizations, including a member of the WCDM. They identified as a key issue, the lack of accurate and reliable information on resettlement and benefits, to the people in camps. They drafted a statement which listed the government decisions already taken on resettlement and the decisions which were being discussed at the moment; and lobbied the GA to issue it as an official document. The GA finally agreed to this recommendation. 15,000 copies were printed by the 27th of January, and these will to be distributed to people living in the camps. The statement is attached below.

There are still specific gender concerns that need to be followed up with this statement - such as who is going to be recognized as the head of household? Will women get the cash that the government is handing out? What kind of special attention will be given to women's concerns? Also it is important to keep pressuring the GA and INGOs to adhere to these promises that have already been made. This statement has been an important first step. However, the WCDM- Batticaloa will continue its role as a lobbying and advocacy group in the Batticaloa District and take up new issues as they come up while following through on old concerns.

Translation of the public handout issued by the GA dated 23rd January 2005

Announcement

To all those who were affected by the Tsunami and are displaced:

We share in the sorrow and suffering of the people who lost their loved ones and their homes and are presently displaced. We understand your anxiety about your future. We know that people have several questions about their present situation, future plans and resettlement and these are confusing issues. We have no ready answers to all the questions. However, we can provide some basic information.

People affected by tsunami will be thoroughly consulted about government plans and complete detailed information will be provided.
Those living in welfare centers at present will not be forced to leave until such time that the temporary relocation sites are ready. Schools will reopen as soon as it is physically possible.
Temporary camps will be prepared in a way that will ensure decent living conditions.
Relocation of people will be voluntary.
All those who have registered themselves as affected and those who are with friends or relatives are entitled to relief measures.
Those who have not registered themselves can register with the GS of your area.
Special attention will be given to the needs of the elderly, orphans, women and the sick.

Those who want to return to your original homes must ensure:
· That the house is structurally safe
· That toilets and wells are suitable for use

For those who are resettling, the following relief measures are available:
Cash Rs.2500/- (to purchase cooking utensils)
Rs. 375/- worth stamps per person per week made up of Rs. 175/- for prescribed food items and Rs. 200 in cash.
There are ongoing discussions on other relief measures to be taken.

The government will provide detailed information on resettlement matters and return to your homes.

The Government Agent,
Kachcheri, Batticaloa

Memorandum to the Batticaloa District Disaster Operational Committee on Concerns Related to Displaced Women’s Welfare and Rights: 12 January 2005

We acknowledge that government officials and other agencies are under pressure and over worked in addressing the enormity of issues that have arisen since the disaster. Therefore we the Women’s Coalition for Disaster Management would like to offer our expertise and resources to enhance long term plans with regard to the welfare of displaced people. We recognise that this is a moment in time where all groups in the Batticaloa district should work together.

We wish to draw your attention to our serious concerns about the current arrangements for the welfare of persons displaced in the aftermath of the tsunami that hit Batticaloa on 26th December 2004. We are alarmed that decisions are being made about temporary re-location of displaced people with neither sufficient consultation nor adequate regard for their wishes. Decision-making must take into account the opinions and concerns they will have about the types of shelter, livelihood opportunities, social support and physical security and psychological attachments to their home area and community.

This consultation process must recognise the diversity of displaced populations, where a single camp will often contain many groups with different needs and special requirements. These differences would include gender, age, cultural background, socio-economic status and means of income. Different groups will require different solutions. We, the Women’s Coalition for Disaster Management, call for the consultation of displaced women in decision-making about temporary and long-term arrangements for their welfare.

We request that you take into consideration the following:

• Decisions about relocation must recognise women’s livelihoods, which are often different to those of men and which may be linked to the physical environment and social context of their original community.

• The physical security of women and their children will be far greater in areas that are well-known to them and where they have strong social resources. Relocating women to unfamiliar areas will also have negative implications for their psychosocial and emotional status in the aftermath of a terrible natural disaster. For example, women who are able to access familiar religious sites, markets, hospitals or dispensaries, relatives, friends and other resources will be far less vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and psychological distress.

• Women who have become heads of households due to the loss of family members must be especially consulted about their relocation needs and wishes.

• Women in camps have expressed to us their discomfort and fears due to living in a camp situation in close proximity to unknown men. There is a lack of measures to ensure privacy, such as separate women’s areas where they may change, bathe, sleep or feed babies. We recommend that every location for housing displaced persons be provided with designated (and monitored) spaces for ‘Women Only’.

• Women are particularly concerned about the alcohol consumption by men in camps, as this increases the risk of sexual harassment, abuse and violence. We recognise that increased alcohol use is linked to the loss of men’s opportunities for productive work and usual social roles. Measures must be taken to both protect women through security arrangements as well as preventative mechanisms to engage men within useful and fulfilling activities in and outside the camps.

• Women’s committees must be set up in each location for displaced persons and all committees in the camps must include women representatives. Women have different needs from men and these views must be taken into account when making decisions about camp life.

• Women and girls’ reproductive health needs require special measures. We recommend that regular clinics for women (only) be held at each location, preferably with an all-female medical team. Special attention must be given to the needs of pregnant and feeding mothers.

• Timely and clear information must be made available to women directly to avoid confusion, fear and a dependency on rumours and dominant figures in the camp. This is particularly important with regards to registering people, upcoming medical clinics, provision of rations, legal status, compensation prospects and future administrative plans for the camps and displaced persons.

• We wish to reiterate that all the above measures will have profound benefits for the psychosocial wellbeing of women who have suffered terrible losses due to the tsunami. Placing women’s concerns at the centre of decision-making processes will enhance their ability to cope and will prevent secondary psychosocial damage.

The above recommendations and concerns are all supported by the Sphere Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance, UNHCR standards and emerging accounts from other affected parts of the island.

We call for the inclusion of women representatives from the different resettlement locations, and women representatives from local women’s organisations in all local and district level decision-making bodies.

‘Women’s Coalition for Disaster Management-Batticaloa’
12th January 2005

Contact address:
Women’s Coalition for Disaster Management-Batticaloa, e mail: wcdmbatti@yahoo.com
C/O Suriya Women’s Development Centre, 20 Dias Lane, Batticaloa, Tel: +94-65-2223297, e mail: suriaw@slt.lk And
Prevention of Gender based Violence Project, CARE International No: 221, Bar Road, Batticaloa
List of Signatories

1. Suriya Women’s Development Centre
2. Women’s Development Forum
3. Prevention on Gender Based Violence Project – Care International
4. Nertra – Kirankulam
5. OXFAM Community Aid Abroad
6. OXFAM GB
7. Thirupperunthurai Community Development Organisation
8. Koralaipattu North Development Union
9. Peoples’ Welfare Association - Kiran
10. Campaign for Ending Violence Against Women Network
11. Working Women’s Development Foundation
12. Women’s Coexistence Committee- Foundation for Coexistence

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Copied to :
6 Task forces – BDDOC
Divisional Secretaries
Head of the Political Wing – LTTE – Batti & Ampara
Women’s Wing – LTTE
TRO
INAYAM
Local Ngo’s
INGOs
ASP – Batticaloa
DPDHS
Information Centre – Kacheri
Vice Chancellor – Eastern University
Sri Lanka Women’s NGO Forum
Coalition for Assisting Sunami Affected Victims
Media