Sri Lanka: displaced people anxious to receive news from separated family members

The over 250,000 displaced people (IDPs) have many needs. In several waves of displacement over recent months, most lost almost all their personal belongings. Tens of thousands of them who were trapped in a narrow coastal strip in the north-eastern part of the country are the most vulnerable. They went through the harrowing experience of repeated forced displacement and living in a combat zone. A quarter of a million people now need food and drinking water, proper sanitation and shelter, access to medical care and essential items such as cooking utensils. Supplying the needy is an enormous task that is being undertaken by the government, several United Nations agencies, the ICRC and partner organizations in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and other local and international aid organizations. There is still a vast gap to be filled between what is being provided and the needs that must be met – for instance, thousands of people still lack adequate medical care. However, over and above material needs, many displaced people are anxious for news from loved ones with whom they lost contact during the displacement and fighting of the past few months. Read more ...