NEPAL HAS MIXED RECORD IN TRANSITION FROM WAR TO PEACE, UN REPORT FINDS

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has stressed the importance of deepening democracy and strengthening the rule of law in Nepal, in a report on the country's transition from war to peace, released in Kathmandu today.

"Nepal is in transition from conflict to peace and from authoritarian rule to democracy, and has the chance to redefine both the nation and the State," the 2009 Nepal Human Development Report</I> says.

"It is an opportunity for political 'transformation', to root out age-old practices by ensuring equality, justice and a greater voice for excluded groups. Deepening democracy and strengthening the rule of law are critical in order to give peace a chance of success."

The report notes that the underlying causes of 10 years of conflict in Nepal have not been resolved, and nor have the consequences been addressed. It calls for efforts to deal with the effects of this divided past, which include poverty and discrimination on the basis of caste and ethnicity, and an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 displaced people who have not yet returned home.

The report adds that while Nepal has made some gains in human development, the gap between the advantaged and disadvantaged regions and caste or ethnic groups is widening or remains the same. Literacy rates for Dalits remain significantly lower than those for Brahmins and Chettris. Similarly, the survival chances of children aged under five from the Dalit and other marginalized communities are lower than those of children born to advantaged castes.

"Successive Human Development Reports have documented Nepal's profoundly uneven development patterns," said UNDP Resident Representative Robert Piper as he launched the report.

"Today's report indicates these patterns remain largely intact despite important progress on a number of nation-wide indicators. The message in this report is that the 'absence of war' will alone neither assure a lasting peace nor deliver prosperity. Nepal's ambitious post-conflict transformation must successfully address centuries of discrimination and exclusion so these patterns are broken for ever."

The 2009 Nepal Human Development Report is the fourth in a series of reports that have provided an analytical framework for Nepal's progress on key human development indicators and the challenges that the country faces in improving the quality of life of its people.
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Human Rights Watch Weekly Digest

Israel: Investigate 'White Flag' Shootings of Gaza Civilians Internal Israeli Military Investigations Inadequate During Israel's recent Gaza offensive, Israeli soldiers unlawfully shot and killed 11 Palestinian civilians, including five women and four children, who were in groups waving white flags to convey their civilian status.

US: Students With Disabilities Face Corporal Punishment at Higher Rates ACLU and Human Rights Watch Seek Ban on Physical Discipline at School. Students with disabilities face corporal punishment in public schools at disproportionately high rates. The physical discipline, which often includes beatings, can worsen these students' medical conditions and undermine their education.

UN Security Council: Create Senior Post on Women and War. The UN Security Council should urgently establish a high-level post to fill a leadership gap relating to women and armed conflict. A special representative of the secretary-general assigned to this issue would be able to push for protection against sexual violence and to promote equal participation by women in peace talks.

Karzai has made an unthinkable deal to sell Afghan women out in return for the support of fundamentalists in the August 20 election. So much for any credentials he claimed as a moderate on women's issues.

Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi Verdict 'Reprehensible' This trial was a farce, a brutal distortion of the legal process. By silencing prominent opponents through bogus trials, the generals are clearly showing why the elections they have been touting for next year won't bring change.

DRC: Clinton Should Highlight Rape and Justice IssuesKillings and brutal sexual violence against women, girls and also men have massively increased in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since the start of military operations in January 2009.

Russia: Ensure Independent Inquiry Into Activists' KillingsThis is a ghastly crime, and its authors must be brought to justice. These killings, less than a month after the murder of Natalia Estemirova, make it absolutely clear that anyone trying to help the people of Chechnya is in mortal danger.

Mexico: Calderon Denies Military Impunity. The claim by President Felipe Calderón of Mexico today that army abuse cases are effectively prosecuted in Mexico flies in the face of all available evidence.

UK/Iraq: UK War Inquiry Should Cover Rights Investigate Allegations of Serious Abuses Committed Against Civilians, DetaineesThe British Government's Inquiry into its Iraq War policies should include human rights abuses as part of its investigation.

Saudi Arabia: Counterterrorism Efforts Violate RightsIndefinite Detention, Inappropriate Reeducation, and Flawed Trials Saudi Arabia's response to terrorism for years has been to lock up thousands of suspects and throw away the key. The authorities made believe that religious counseling could replace trials, and now they are pretending that convictions after secret trials can legitimize continued detention.

SOMALIA NEEDS GREATER INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO REBUILD, UN ENVOY SAYS

Somalia needs stronger support from the international community if its people are to rebuild their war-shattered society, the top United Nations envoy to the Horn of Africa nation said today as he welcomed a meeting between the Somali President and the United States Secretary of State.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN Special Representative for Somalia, said the meeting between Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hillary Clinton in Nairobi was an important show of support for peace and stability in Somalia.

"It is in line with, and strengthens the positions of, the InterGovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the European Union (EU) on Somalia," he said, according to a press release issued by the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS).

"The Government needs strong backing to continue its dialogue with various parties and to increase security for the people," Mr. Ould-Abdallah added.

"The time has come for countries, groups, individuals and especially spoilers to show more understanding and respect for Somalia and help its people to rebuild their society and their country. Respecting Somalia does not mean recycling proposals to hold 'inclusive national conferences' again and again."

The Special Representatives stressed that Somalis themselves are sick and tired of the violence in their country, which has not had a fully functioning national government since 1991, and are ready for dialogue between warring parties.

Despite the signing of peace agreements, the formation of a new Government and election of a new president, Somalia has endured a resurgence of violence in recent months. Fighting between Government forces and the Al-Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam militant groups in Mogadishu since early May have forced over 200,000 people from their homes, many of them for the second time over the course of the past year.
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EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE CRUCIAL TO SHORING UP PEACE IN POST-CONFLICT NATIONS, SAYS BAN

Ending war is only the first step in peacebuilding, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, stressing the need for well-planned and coordinated international support in the immediate aftermath of conflict to ensure the consolidation of stability.

Peacebuilding entails "putting in place the institutions and trust that will carry people forward into a peaceful future," Mr. Ban told the Security Council.

There is a crucial two-year period following the end of hostilities, when insecurity persists and peace is fragile, he added. "If peace is to be sustainable, the international community must make the most of this moment and provide the right support at the right time."

But he warned that there is only "a limited window of opportunity" in which to deliver peace dividends, including boosting security, restoring basic services and kick-starting economic recovery.

Briefing the 15-member Council on his latest report on peacebuilding, the Secretary-General said he has seen first-hand the impacts of slow or inadequate responses to post-conflict needs in countries such as Sudan, Haiti, Liberia and Timor-Leste.

He called for a five-pronged approach to ensuring that peacebuilding is better-planned and managed.

Firstly, Mr. Ban said, such a response would require national ownership, for "peace will not take root if it comes from the outside," and the UN and its partners should play a supporting role.

Also essential is international leadership, he said, pointing out that he has created a senior-level mechanism that will ensure that the right leadership and support teams are in place as early as possible.

Coherence is another vital element, with effective peacebuilding actions requiring the cooperation of all members of the UN family and others.

Another key facet is a common strategy, the Secretary-General said, noting that even though in the wake of conflicts, "everything feels urgent, and there are many pressing needs," it is essential to align behind a joint approach.

Lastly, predictable and credible delivery is vital, he stressed, adding that "Member States need to help ensure that we have sufficient international capacity to respond rapidly to the most urgent needs."

At today's meeting, which heard from dozens of speakers, Mr. Ban also underscored the importance of funding, with some UN entities facing "serious challenges" in securing timely financing.

"For over a decade we have been grappling with how to bring peacebuilding upstream and mount a more rapid and effective response in the immediate aftermath of conflict," he wrote in the report. "However, at this time of global resource constraints, when the most vulnerable bear the brunt of economic downturn, there is a new urgency to redouble our efforts and ensure that resources are used more efficiently by promoting a more coherent, effective and focused response

"The people in post-conflict countries will benefit if we move from words to action," said Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz of Chile, who is the current chairman of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, which was set up in 2005 to help countries coming out of war determine the priority areas for rebuilding out of the vast array of challenges they face. Countries can also avail themselves of financial assistance from the Peacebuilding Fund to start projects.
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UN EXPERTS TACKLE ‘CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE’ OVER SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN WARTIME

Women's rights activists, senior military figures and top United Nations officials met in New York this week to discuss what the world body's former humanitarian chief Jan Egeland described as "one of the biggest conspiracies of silence in history" – the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

The talks focused particularly on the lack of female involvement in peace negotiations, and on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1820, passed last year, which for the first time acknowledged the use of sexual violence in conflict as a deliberate tactic of war.

According to the UN's agency for women, UNIFEM, women comprise on average less than 10 per cent of peace negotiators and less than 2 per cent of mediators. Out of approximately 300 peace agreements reached in 45 conflicts since the end of the Cold War, only 10 peace processes even mentioned sexual violence.

Anne-Marie Goetz of UNIFEM told a news conference that among the key principles endorsed by participants in this week's talks were that sexual violence should be addressed right from the start of the mediation process, and that crimes of sexual violence should be given the same priority as other international crimes.

"This kind of meeting backs up the quest for justice," said Leymah Gbowee of the organization Women, Peace and Security Africa, who participated in the talks. "It emboldens mediators and gains greater respect for women's groups, which the parties to peace talks can often ignore." She added that resolution 1820 "changed the dynamic at the peace table and legitimized the status of women."

Ms. Gbowee said the opportunity to brief the Security Council on the results of the conference would serve to create awareness of sexual violence as a weapon of war among Member States, who she said might be inclined to see rape during wartime as a social or a humanitarian problem rather than a military issue.

She added that the presence of senior military officers, including Major-General Patrick Cammaert, a former commander with the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was particularly effective in raising awareness that sexual violence was often used as a deliberate and systematic military strategy.

Ms. Gbowee spoke forcefully of the barriers to women's participation in mediation processes, including the fear that addressing sexual violence would prevent the smooth running of peace talks, since the negotiating parties might be seriously implicated.

Recalling her own role in leading the women's peace movement that helped bring Liberia's stalled peace process to a successful conclusion in 2003, she added: "I am proud

of the role women played… but one of my greatest regrets is that we did not use this opportunity to raise our own issues and demand prosecution for perpetrators of sexual violence."
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ICRC News Release - Pakistan: ICRC and Red Crescent step up emergency response to IDP crisis

Crescent Society (PRCS) are expanding their operations to reach up to 500,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in north-west Pakistan. Numbers are difficult to verify, but there are reported to be at least 2 million IDPs currently staying in camps and with host families in the region.

"In view of the considerable humanitarian needs, we have decided to significantly increase our efforts to help the displaced," said Katharina Ritz, ICRC deputy head of operations for South Asia. "The ICRC and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society are particularly well placed to do this as they have been working in this area for several months." The planned response includes the provision of emergency food and non-food aid and efforts to improve water, sanitation, and medical services. The ICRC and the PRCS will also expand their activities aimed at enabling separated families to re-establish contact.

The ICRC and the PRCS have invited Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to a meeting in Geneva on 5 June to discuss how best to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the ICRC has begun deploying additional personnel to Pakistan where it currently has about 100 international and 700 Pakistani staff.

"In addition to conducting these relief operations, we will intensify our dialogue with all parties on the conduct of hostilities and other concerns related to the protection of civilians affected by the fighting," added Ms Ritz. "The ICRC remains extremely concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the fighting in North-West Frontier Province, where the civilian population is once again bearing the brunt of the violence.”

UN RELIEF CHIEF APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO ADDRESS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ PAKISTANI DISPLACEMENT

UN RELIEF CHIEF APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO ADDRESS 'UNPRECEDENTED' PAKISTANI DISPLACEMENT
New York, May 28 2009 7:00PM
Calling the scale of the displacement of civilians fleeing clashes between the Government and militants in north-west Pakistan "unprecedented," the top United Nations humanitarian official today called on donors to fund an appeal for over $500 million to help the over 2 million uprooted.

The violence, which broke out on 2 May, have driven more than 1.9 million people from their homes, on top of some 500,000 forced to flee violence in the area last year. Only 10 per cent of the total of 2.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the South Asian nation's north-west are living in camps, with the rest seeking shelter with relatives or in rented accommodations and public buildings, such as schools.

Last Friday, the UN and its partners launched a $543 million Humanitarian Action Plan, but Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told reporters in New York today that the appeal is only 21 per cent funded.

"Our view is that this is not remotely sufficient," he said, adding that the world body and relief agencies will not be able to sustain their operations for more than another month unless they receive an influx of funds.

The UN, he pointed out, has stepped up efforts to provide assistance in key sectors such as health, education, water and sanitation, and health, by delivering latrines, food and other supplies, as well as building one dozen new camps for the displaced as numbers of IDPs are on the rise.

"We're already doing quite a lot," Mr. Holmes said, "but we recognize that we need to scale up this effort very significantly in line with the scale and speed of displacement and if we're going to do that, we're going to need additional resources."

He voiced concern over the people still in area of conflict, particularly the Swat Valley, but noted that he has no figures for the number of remaining civilians. "It's very important that all concerned respect international humanitarian law and do all they possibly can to protect civilians," he stressed.

The Under-Secretary-General also warned that the numbers of IDPs in Pakistan could further swell if the Pakistani Government begins military operations in Waziristan, in the country's south.

Among the most critical challenges facing both national and international relief agencies is ensuring that all of the displaced have been registered so that they can receive supplies and services available to them, according to a UN press release issued in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, today.

A key health priority is preventing the spread of disease due to overcrowding and unsafe water supplies, it said. Immunization campaigns for measles and hepatitis B kicked off last week, and the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/public/">UNFPA) plans to set up several additional sites to provide services to pregnant and new mothers and their babies.

"International funding support is critical to keeping this support going at this stage," said Fikret Akcura, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, adding that assistance for displaced families is necessary to ensure their access to sanitation and health services.
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DPR KOREA’S NUCLEAR TEST THREATENS GLOBAL DISARMAMENT EFFORTS, BAN WARNS

DPR KOREA'S NUCLEAR TEST THREATENS GLOBAL DISARMAMENT EFFORTS, BAN WARNS
New York, May 27 2009 2:00PM
The recent nuclear and missile tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) jeopardize continuing global efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned.

<"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3884">Addressing Finland's Parliament in the capital, Helsinki, yesterday, Mr. Ban said that the DPRK's nuclear test on Monday, its second ever, and its subsequent launch of short-range missiles not only "create tension in the region," but "will also pose serious implications to peace and security on the regional and global level."

<"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1294">Speaking to reporters following his speech, the Secretary-General said that the Security Council, which condemned Monday's nuclear test in a press statement, can "start to take further measures corresponding to the gravity of this situation."

Joining the chorus of world leaders in speaking out against the test, he said it is in "flagrant violation" of the Council's resolution 1718 from 2006, which demanded that the country "not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile," following its claims to have conducted a nuclear test in October of that year.

Mr. Ban reiterated his appeal to DPRK's leaders to "refrain from taking any further measures, which will deteriorate the situation, which will create tensions in the region, which will pose negative implications for the ongoing international community's efforts to curb nuclear non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, as well as nuclear disarmament talks which are now going on between the United States and the Russian Federation."

DPRK authorities should abide by all commitments made to the international community as a member of the United Nations, he added.

As a former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and in light of the other roles he was involved in regarding the denuclearization process on the Korean peninsula, the Secretary-General said that he feels a greater "sense of responsibility about the situation" in the area.

"All these experiences, and my direct involvement, made me feel much more frustrated by the lack of control as to the denuclearization process, as had been agreed in the Six-Party joint statement," he said, referring to the September 2005 agreement – involving China, DPRK, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States – in which the DPRK committed itself to abandon nuclear weapons and rejoin the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The DPRK's only "viable option," Mr. Ban pointed out, is for it to return to the table for talks.

In his address to the Finnish Parliament, the Secretary-General also touched on climate change, calling for the Nordic nation's support in wrapping up negotiations on an ambitious new pact to slash greenhouse gas emissions at this December's UN conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

He also announced that the world body will shortly be launching a Global Vulnerability Alert, with information being collected in real-time and shared with Member States to monitor the social effects of the current global economic crisis.

Before heading back to New York today, Mr. Ban met with former UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari, as well as Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development and a group of Finnish non-governmental organizations.
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US: Act to Prevent Rape in War

Senate and Administration Should Provide Leadership to End Violence and Bring Accountability

May 13, 2009

(Washington, DC) - The United States Senate should move beyond collecting testimony in its commitment to help prevent and punish rape in conflict, Human Rights Watch said today in a written submission to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The US is in a strong position to provide active global leadership and to press for international action, Human Rights Watch said.

Senators Barbara Boxer of California and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin are co-sponsoring a hearing today on violence against women in conflict, featuring witnesses from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur. The Obama administration's new ambassador-at-large for global women's issues, Melanne Verveer, will also testify.

"It is heartening to see the Senate and the administration come together to exchange views on this critical issue," said Marianne Mollmann, women's rights advocate at Human Rights Watch. "But sexual violence in conflict is nothing new. We know it happens. We know it goes unpunished. Now is the time for action, not words."

Sexual violence against women and girls has been a horrifying characteristic of all recent armed conflicts and many post-conflict situations. Human Rights Watch has documented this violence in countries ranging from Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the former Yugoslavia. The research also shows that the perpetrators of these crimes rarely are brought to justice. In many conflict areas, seeking justice for sexual violence is difficult, often dangerous, and frequently very costly.

"Victims of violence often confront a gutted, corrupt, or untrained police force and justice system," said Mollmann. "In some cases, the police are afraid of investigating crimes committed by soldiers or militia, and certainly can't provide protection for the victims of abuse."

The hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is meant to generate concrete action points for the United States and will consider detailed submissions from Human Rights Watch and other organizations. The United States is in a particularly strong position to engage other countries on this issue, both because of its permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, and because of its substantial foreign aid to conflict-ridden countries.

Last June, the Bush administration led the Security Council in a resolution that, for the first time, unequivocally mandated the United Nations to address sexual violence as a weapon of war and a threat to international peace and security. Advocates hope that the Senate hearing will consolidate US leadership on this issue, specifically by pushing the United Nations to establish a senior special representative on sexual violence.

"Stopping rape in war is as bipartisan as it gets," said Mollmann. "Here, the Senate really can come together and speak with one voice to benefit women worldwide by urging the United Nations to put its money where its mouth is and appoint a special representative to tackle this issue head on."

Sri Lanka: as crisis escalates, ICRC continues to assist civilians

Fighting continues between Sri Lankan government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), prompting growing fears for the lives of those trapped in the conflict area. The ICRC has been bringing a little hope, evacuating the sick and wounded and escorting boats carrying food and limited medicines.

Tens of thousands of people confined to a rapidly-shrinking area have headed for the coast to escape the fighting, in search of safety, food and medical care. But numbers in the coastal belt held by the LTTE have increased drastically over recent weeks, and clean water is scarce. The area is affected by shelling every day, and the cramped conditions and the lack of water and proper sanitation are putting people at risk of epidemics.

"The humanitarian situation is deteriorating by the day," said Paul Castella, head of the ICRC’s Colombo delegation. "Many of these people are forced to shelter in trenches. They are in considerable physical danger. After having been forced to move from place to place en masse for weeks or even months, they depend entirely on food from outside the conflict area."

The sick and wounded continue to arrive at Putumattalan, where local people have helped set up a makeshift medical facility in a community centre and a school. Medical staff from the ministry of health do their best to cope with a constant influx of people injured by the fighting. But medical supplies are insufficient.

With the agreement of the government and the LTTE, the ICRC has continued to evacuate patients from Putumattalan (which is in the LTTE-held area) to Trincomalee (in the government-held area). The ICRC-chartered Green Ocean ferry has evacuated over 4,000 sick and wounded people, together with their carers, since evacuations started on 10 February. The evacuees included over 1,400 people in need of surgery, so an ICRC medical team consisting of a surgeon, an anaesthetist and a nurse are helping Trincomalee Hospital to handle the influx.

Since mid-February, the ICRC has on 12 occasions facilitated the movement of food shipments from Trincomalee to Putumattalan, delivering a total of over 700 tonnes of flour, dhal, sugar and oil provided by the government and the World Food Programme. On three occasions it was possible to deliver some medicines provided by the ministry of health, but the quantities were too limited by comparison with the needs.

"With patients continuing to arrive at the improvized medical facility in Putumattalan, it is essential that evacuations take place regularly and without interference. It is encouraging to see food and medicines going into the conflict area, but they must be delivered regularly if they are to have an impact," said Morven Murchison, who coordinates the ICRC's health activities in Sri Lanka.

The civil and military authorities have helped with the medical evacuations and the food shipments, as have local people. Offloading food onto the beach in Putumattalan may involve up to 275 people transporting the food in fishing boats and carrying it ashore. These are dangerous and complex operations. The fighting is one hazard, but bad weather and heavy seas often make things worse.

With the help of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, the ICRC was able to give 130 sick and wounded evacuees personal hygiene kits, emergency household kits, kitchen utensils and baby-care parcels. These people received medical treatment at hospitals in Trincomalee and Vavuniya.

ICRC staff member killed

ICRC employee Vadivel Vijayakumar was killed by shelling on 4 March just north of Valayanmadam, on the coastal belt of the territory held by the LTTE. His nine-year-old son was injured in the same incident. This is the second time in less than three months that an ICRC staff member has been killed in Sri Lanka. Mr Vijayakumar leaves a wife and three children.

Acting as a neutral intermediary between the government and the LTTE

The conflict has disrupted traffic through Omanthai, formerly the only crossing point between government and LTTE areas, However, in January the ICRC facilitated the passage of 360 civilians, including 70 patients seeking treatment in Vavuniya hospital and nearly 125 vehicles, including ambulances. ICRC staff also transported the bodies of 100 fighters over the same period, 99 of them in January. The last ICRC-escorted land convoy took place on 29 January. Since 10 February, the ICRC has been facilitating the movement of the sick, the wounded and humanitarian aid between the LTTE- and government-held areas by sea.

Emergency aid for villagers following attack

An attack on a village in Ampara district in February left 14 dead and 10 injured. The ICRC provided a total of 143 families with personal hygiene kits and baby care parcels, while 20 families displaced by the attack received basic household requisites. Five families whose houses had been burned down in the attack also received a tarpaulin, kitchen utensils and a kerosene cooker.

Protecting civilians and detainees

The ICRC continues to monitor allegations concerning violations of international humanitarian law affecting civilians throughout the country. In January and February, over 3,900 people contacted the organization with allegations concerning missing persons, arbitrary arrests, recruitment of minors, unlawful killings and ill-treatment of civilians by arms bearers. In order not to endanger the people reporting such violations, ICRC staff discussed their reports bilaterally with the parties involved.

With the cooperation of government officials and the LTTE, the ICRC has been visiting people arrested in connection with the armed conflict to monitor their treatment and conditions of detention. ICRC delegates held private talks with over 1,400 security detainees in over 70 places of detention throughout the country and provided them with clothes, toiletries and recreational items. The ICRC paid for 10 detainees to return home by public transport after release, and for the families of 635 detainees to visit their detained relatives.

Working with volunteers from the SLRCS, the ICRC has been providing water and sanitation facilities for displaced persons in transit centres in Vavuniya and Jaffna. Over 150 toilets have been built, along with tanks to store water.

Restoring family links through Red Cross messages

Red Cross messages help detainees, their relatives and separated families to keep in touch. In January and February the ICRC and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society collected over 1,000 messages and distributed almost 400.

Enhancing respect for international humanitarian law

As part of its efforts to increase respect for international humanitarian law, the ICRC conducted information sessions for over 2,500 people including civilians, the Tamil People’s Liberation Tigers (TMVP), the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and government security forces.

Supporting the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society

The ICRC continues helps the Sri Lanka Red Cross to maintain family links and develop awareness of Red Cross and Red Crescent principles. Fifteen volunteers from the SLRCS received training to set up emergency tents and shelters.

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