Colombo – As fighting continues in north and northeastern districts of Sri Lanka leaving more than 200,000 people displaced, IOM has been providing humanitarian assistance to thousands of those affected. Non-food items including mosquito nets, personal hygiene items, kitchen utensils, clothing, bed sheets, children’s toys and footwear as well as some food items have been procured for distribution while supplies already in IOM warehouses in the east of the country have already been made available to support internally displaced people (IDPs) and other stranded families.

In Batticaloa, the Organization is also providing temporary shelters to several thousand displaced families and is providing support to the government in managing an IDP site in Batticaloa town.

In order to ensure good hygiene habits and prevent any outbreak of disease, IOM, in coordination with other humanitarian organizations, has organized a series of workshops at IDP transitional settlements around Trincomalee town.

Assistance is also being given to those fleeing the violence in Mannar and Annuradhapura districts while transport assistance is being made available to other organizations such as WFP, UNICEF and Save the Children to distribute food, hygiene kits and other non-food items to 5,000 IDP families in areas of Batticaloa districts which have been difficult to access. Similar transport support is being provided to several non-governmental organizations working in affected areas.

With urgent needs for shelter, water and sanitation and transport, IOM is asking donors to fund its programmes in these areas until the end of the year as well as other activities that include registering IDPs, livelihood, health care and the distribution of non-food items.

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For further information, please contact: Annie Scarborough,IOM Colombo,Tel: +94 777 020 399, E-mail: annies@iomsrilanka.org