I have returned

I arrived back in Sri Lanka on Sunday afternoon to the news of the murder of 17 local workers of the French NGO Action Contre La Faim in Muttur, Trincomalee District.  It was the highest toll of aid workers in a single incident since the 2003 bombing of the UN's Baghdad headquarters which killed at least 24. Medical teams trying to enter areas to help civilians have been attacked and ambulances bombed.  Anything I try to write seems completely inadequate.  These young Tamil and Muslim people had gone in to Muttur to try and see what they could do to help the people  - all of them clearly identified in their ACF T-shirts. 15 of them they were found by a team of people from the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies in the ACF office in Muttur town.  Reports suggest they at least some of them were on the floor, face down, and shot at close range.  The other two were found in a car,  presumably trying to escape.

At an emergency meeting of the CHA there was a sense that this event has changed some things for ever for humanitarian agencies.  It was compared to the day after the Tsunami when people tried to make sense of what had happened and why - but in the knowledge that nothing could ever be the same again. And then yesterday, Tuesday, another bomb in Colombo targetting a Tamil politician who is opposed to the Tigers - but it was the innocent who were killed - including a 3 year old child.

So - many agencies have suspended their Tsunami work in the area and have turned to emergency humanitarian relief. - what's the point of building new houses, schools, when they could be destroyed by bombing and providing livelihood projects when everyone has evacuated in the area?  There are currently over 30,000 people staying in schools. The Government say they can provide for the immediate needs of people in Government controlled areas but there are also many people who have fled to LTTE controlled areas and they are also in need.

Romy is currently up in Trincomalee with Anant Bir Singh, the Tsunami Coordinator for Christian Aid.  For those of you who get his emails I'm sure he'll tell you about it when he gets back.  But he is safe and well.  This was planned before the current violence and is focused, as I understand it, on learning how local partners think CA responded to the disaster and their relationship with CA during this emergency period. Romy is meeting the partners, listening to them and getting their opinions. CA wants to learn, with the partners, how they can do things better. This will all come together in a meeting at the end of September which he will facilitate.

So my two week break back in the UK to attend my son Zac's graduation in Liverpool seems a long time ago.  I managed to visit most of my family and even help Zac renovate/redecorate his room - penance for forgetting to text him on his birthday - I blame the time difference.

While I was back a some of you asked me about what I am doing - I was going to give you a better idea in this blog -but it'll have to wait.

Comments

[Lindsey Pearson]

Hi Linda
I remember visiting Muttur and Trincomalee and going out with TDYMDA to visit communities around there in 2002 - just after the ceasefire. There was a feeling of hope that lives could now be rebuilt. So sad to hear of what's happening - will be thinking of you and Romy.
Lindsey