Issue: Ongoing hardship of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sri Lanka

Media Advisory
Issue: Ongoing hardship of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sri Lanka


1. Background

· With the cessation of conflict some 300,000 IDPs returned to next-to-nothing in the northern part of Sri Lanka.
· On returning to their villages, they need to prove property ownership and are given two tarpaulin sheets and sometimes some money to start rebuilding their house.
· In the meantime they live under rubble, tents, sheds made of wood or in some of the few schools or official buildings that are not destroyed.
· Estimates from SLRCS (Sri Lankan Red Cross) and local UN-staff estimate that 100,000 new houses are needed.
· There are still 50,000 people left in camps such as Mannik Farm, with nowhere to go.
· Some of the areas remain heavily contaminated with mines, restricting the possibilities and space for rebuilding and agriculture.
· The UN has little support for its demining appeal.
· The SLRCS / IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) appeal is currently funded 30-40 per cent which undermines urgently-needed recovery programs such as desperately needed houses and health care.
· Norwegian Red Cross is committed to support the appeal and to alleviate the ongoing harship of internally displaced people (IDPs).
· The IFRC Appeal incl. the background to the humanitarian crisis: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/10/MDRLK00201.pdf

2. Video B-roll & Jpegs for Media

For any technical support to access the images please contact av@ifrc.org

We are please to provide exclusive footage (b-roll) and images from Sri Lanka filmed by the media team of the Norwegian Red Cross.

It is accessible through our online Cumulus archive where you can find 5 individual videos and a combined shotlist:
http://av.ifrc.org/Standard/i-sendBasket.index.jsp?basketID=HWDNFXM5H7HX5AE6LD86GA4PNN

and finally a Cumulus link to a selection of jpegs:
http://av.ifrc.org/Standard/i-sendBasket.index.jsp?basketID=XJQD8YC2ABBAPH8AAL5RWV9GAA

The footage - together with shot lists / captions - will also be accessible from 17h30 CET via the IFRC's online newsroom. Click tab ‘for Journalists' and it will be accessible on ‘Latest Video' and ‘Asia & Pacific' sections: www.ifrc.org/newsroom /

3. Web content

Also provided (see attached) are two short-form web stories which may prove useful as source material, quotes or as ready-to-use stories for your online communications. Any further information on these stories please contact: jonlar@redcross.no


4. Media interviews on humanitarian situation and future challenges

For comments from Secretary General Børge Brende of the Norwegian Red Cross, recently returned from Sri Lanka, please call Jon Martin Larsen, Head of Media, Norwegian Red Cross, +47 90 770 437 / jonlar@redcross.no or Norwegian Red Cross 24hrs press line +47 94 872 999

Journalists are also invited to email questions to Mr. Brende (via Jon Martin) who can provide (only today or this evening) taped video responses which will then be rapidly returned to interested media.

For further information on the International Red Cross Red Crescent's work in Sri Lanka please contact Paul Conneally, IFRC Head of Media: +41 79 308 9809 / paul.conneally@ifrc.org