The urgent provision of water, food and essential items for displaced persons has become a priority for GAA.

The heightened security situation and the resulting large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have changed the focus for Sewalanka Foundation's long-term partner German Agro Action (GAA).

In the Jaffna and Wanni areas, funding previously dedicated to food security, agricultural activities, shelter, post emergency activities and semi-permanent shelter has now been redirected into more urgent aid-related activities.

GAA and Sewalanka's development-oriented programs which assist previously displaced persons and which centre on sustainable, long-term development have been significantly scaled down.

GAA Country Director Mr Heinz Seidler said the urgent provision of food and essential items for displaced persons has become a priority for GAA.

"Our immediate focus is to ensure the survival of communities that have been displaced because of the recent outbreak of fighting. We are doing this by distributing food rations and essential items such as household utensils, hygiene products, mats and blankets to IDPs temporarily living in camps and with friends and relatives," Mr Seidler said.

"The closure of roads linking Jaffna and the Wanni to the south due to fighting has created a dire and severe food shortage in the area. Because of this food shortage the main problem we are facing as a humanitarian agency is to supply dry rations to refugees who have lost everything because of the conflict," he said.

Understanding that this critical shortage of food in Jaffna and the Wanni region may lead to deaths, GAA have facilitated an aid program which has become the major focus of the organisation's operation in Sri Lanka.

"The program will provide relief to 6750 families in total – 5250 families from the Jaffna peninsula and 1500 families from the Wanni. This target group has been chosen on the basis of assessments made by Sewalanka staff in the area and the requests of the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Government Agents," Mr Seidler said.

GAA has been working with Sewalanka for over 11 years linking relief programs with rehabilitation and sustainable development. Since the 2002 ceasefire agreement, GAA has been largely focused on resettling and developing communities previously displaced by war.

"Upon analysis of the deteriorating security situation in Sri Lanka, an official decision was made in September 2006 to slow down development related activities for a period of six months until February 2007. The situation on the ground will then be reassessed to determine whether resettlement and development type projects will be carried out according to plan or whether modifications might be necessary," Mr Seidler said.

"The German Government has provided us with additional funding for relief and with this funding, our first action was targeted at displaced people in Jaffna.

Sewalanka Director of Special Projects Ms Lakshi Abeyesekera said that although it is disappointing to see development projects that have been in operation over the past four years of stability being put on hold, she is pleased that Sewalanka and GAA have been able to rapidly respond to the growing humanitarian crisis.

"Funds from the German Government were used to address the urgent food needs of the 4500 families assigned to Sewalanka and GAA by the Jaffna Government Agent. The current situation prevailing in the north and east has again displaced several thousands of people freshly. GAA and Sewalanka are looking into possibilities for providing basic humanitarian aid for the recently displaced," Ms Abeyesekera said.

"Local Sewalanka staff from Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Jaffna and Trincomalee are implementing these GAA-funded aid projects," she said.