COLOMBO, 13 July 2007 (IRIN) - Two months after a massive government-sponsored resettlement programme started in eastern Sri Lanka's Batticaloa District, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the area have yet to gain continuous access to some resettlement communities, particularly in Batticaloa West.

On 14 May, the government began resettling 85,000 internally displaced persons in their former homes in Batticaloa West. Since fighting between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) flared up in March 2007 they had been living in welfare centres and with host families, mostly close to the coast.

Now that the displaced are back in their homes, humanitarian agencies say it is important they have continuous access to the returnees - both to make needs' assessments and to begin implementing rehabilitation projects. "They [aid agencies] are being sent from pillar to post by local security authorities," Jeevan Thiyagaraja, the executive director of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA), an umbrella body of local and international agencies, said. "There are organisations waiting to go in and start work, but they don't have permanent access."

Many have gained no access at all. Save the Children is one such organisation that is awaiting clearance to start work in the newly resettled areas, according to spokesperson Maleec Calyaneratne. "We have plans to work on education, child protection and livelihoods, but we are waiting for access into these areas."

The agency has been holding discussions with local military authorities in Batticaloa to get a better idea of what they could do and where.

Confusion

CHA's Thiyagaraja, feels that lack of communication between the capital Colombo and Batticaloa is causing some confusion regarding access.

"Agencies have clearance from Colombo to visit and work in the areas," he told IRIN. "The problem is that at security points they are told not to visit because of the danger of mines and other issues. In reality, there is still very limited access."

The CHA brought the matter to the notice of the minister of human rights and disaster management, Mahinda Samarasinghe, who was instrumental in securing clearance from Colombo. He has promised to consult the Defence Ministry and ease the delays within the next few weeks.

Local government officials in Batticaloa say they are helpless unless they get clear instructions from Colombo, especially on security related matters. "The ministries in Colombo are the ones looking into these aspects," K. Sivananda, project director for the resettlement scheme at the Batticaloa government agent's office, said. "They coordinate the programmes."

Even some UN agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have had to deal with limited access. "There is a problem with access," Charles Moses, head of the FAO in Batticaloa, told IRIN. "We have funds to assist 1,500 families, but we or our implementing partners need to be there constantly." He said that only making one or two quick visits is insufficient to work effectively.

Moses said government security forces have cautioned agencies against visiting some resettlement areas due to landmines and unexploded devices. However, the Defence Ministry in Colombo has already given clearance for at least 40 humanitarian agencies to work in those same resettlement locations.

Many humanitarian agencies remain concerned about their lack of access. In a 13 July situation report, the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) said: "With the exception of World Vision (occasional access to long-standing projects in certain villages), NGOs do not have access to all three resettled divisions in the southern part of Western Batticaloa, which is of concern for humanitarian actors in the district." UNHCR concerned

Shortly after the resettlement programme started, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) called for better coordination and communication between government officials and relief agencies. "We also urged the government to provide clearance for a UN advanced assessment team as soon as possible, as it is a priority that agencies have access to areas of return before the returns takes place," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis said in Geneva on 29 May.

Better access for some UN agencies

Some UN agencies have nevertheless been able to visit areas in Batticaloa West at least on a weekly basis. The World Food Programme (WFP), which is assisting the government with food rations for the newly resettled, has been able to travel to the areas at least once a week. So have staff from the UNHCR office in Batticaloa. However, both do so only after obtaining security clearance from local security officials prior to their visits.

CHA's Thiyagaraja said that although UN agencies had better access than NGOs, they too were yet to start sustained work in the newly resettled areas.

Some humanitarian officials in the Batticaloa area feel that the longer it takes for programmes to take off, the greater the temptation for some of those who have been resettled to return to the welfare centres and host families where they had been staying from March until May. Already, according to aid workers in Batticaloa, there have been rumours of such returns. "At the camps at least you can get food and other supplies easily," said Basil Sylvester, CHA's Batticaloa coordinator, adding: "If the returnees sense that there is a block of some kind, they will feel it would be better to be in areas where the agencies have access."

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