Each week, the World Health Organization Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on critical health-related activities in countries where there are humanitarian crises. Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices and headquarters. The mandate of the WHO departments specifically concerned with Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Crises is to increase the effectiveness of the WHO contribution to crisis preparedness and response, transition and recovery. This note, which is not exhaustive, is designed for operational use and does not reflect any official position of the WHO Secretariat.
SRI LANKA
More information is available at www.who.int/hac and http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Sri_Lanka _ESR_7May09.pdf
- On 5 May, the Health Cluster meeting in Colombo included the participation of all agencies working for health in IDP settings and of USAID and EU.
- The second round of CERF Rapid Response window allocated US$1 million to WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF to enhance humanitarian response for IDPs.
- The UN and the Government have launched an appeal for US$ 50 million to meet the most immediate humanitarian needs of an estimated 250 000 people in the north, including their health needs.
Assessments and Events
- More than 115 000 people have fled LTTE-controlled areas between 20 April and 3 May, with an estimated 15 000 - 20 000 remaining trapped.
- Approximately 178 000 IDPs are being hosted in schools and public buildings in Vavuniya and Trincomalee and 11 000 in Jaffna district. The MoH has established an IDP Health Coordination Office in Chettikulam to enhance health services in camps and the referral hospitals.
- The main conditions reported in camps are acute watery diarrhoea, skin infections and conjunctivitis. The disease surveillance mechanism is successfully helping to prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases. The only outbreak reported so far is chickenpox with 7149 cases notified as of 22 April. The increased number of diarrhoea cases can be due to inadequate latrines and safe drinking water to some of the IDP camps established recently.
Actions
- WHO and Health Cluster partners are helping the MoH to ensure health care for the IDPs by strengthening health facilities in the area and by providing mobile health care. Immunization, antenatal care, health education, environmental health, mental health and disease surveillance services are in place.
- Referral hospitals are severely stretched. Chettikulam hospital was upgraded with the support of WHO, France and the German Red Cross to care for the increased number of patients referred from camps.
- WHO received medical supplies donated by the Italian Government. These supplies, sufficient to meet the health needs of 20 000 people for three months, are to be sent to Jaffna and Vavuniya during the coming week. WHO also donated emergency equipment and medicines to the MoH.
- The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia moved two tents from the WHO Nepal Office to serve as hospital wards in two IDP camps.
- WHO recruited new staff, including an epidemiologist and an information officer, to strengthen its field office in Vavuniya.
- WHO released a second tranche of US$ 175 000 from the South-East Regional Health Emergency Fund to prepare for the surge and replenish medical supplies. WHO also received funding from Italy and the CERF.