Colombo – With over 150,000 people displaced by fighting between the Sri Lankan Army and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) in western Batticaloa district in eastern Sri Lanka, IOM is working with local government and relief agencies to meet growing humanitarian needs.

IOM has provided 750 emergency shelters including tents in Chenkalady and in Batticaloa municipality, and work is underway to provide 700 more in the coming weeks for some of the thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) crowded along the roadside or taking refuge in temples and churches.

"The situation in Batticaloa is alarming. Thousands of civilians are fleeing their homes daily to escape the shelling and multi-barrel attacks," says Carlo Benedetti, IOM's Emergency Projects Coordinator in the area.

With partners, IOM Batticaloa is also providing transport to help people leave conflict areas and move to safer locations in the district. When the fighting ends, it will offer them free transport to return home.

IOM staff are also distributing essential food and non-food relief items. In coordination with local government and relief agencies, IOM has provided fresh food to over 11,000 people since December 2006 and is currently providing dry rations, including rice, gram and dhal to some 3,500 IDPs. Non-food relief items distributed include hygiene kits, hurricane lanterns, sleeping mats, buckets and mosquito nets.

To meet growing water and sanitation needs, IOM has also constructed nearly 200 toilets for host families in Manamunai North D. S. Division, Kaluvanchikady and Manamunaipattu in Batticaloa.

IOM's emergency operations in Batticaloa are funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), Australia, UNICEF and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). IOM's office in Batticaloa opened in April 2004. In addition to its current emergency work, it provides transitional shelter and water and sanitation facilities for people affected by the December 2004 tsunami, who are still waiting to move into permanent housing.

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For more information, please contact: Passanna Gunasekera, IOM Sri Lanka, Tel: +94 5333 432 Ext. 213, E-mail: pgunasekera@iomsrilanka.org or I.J. Sylvester, IOM Sri Lanka, Tel:+ 94 652 227 296/ 596, E-mail: sylvesteri@iomsrilanka.org