New UNHCR Norms For Protection of Displaced

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has set new guidelines required to be followed by the Government on protection and assistance to the internally displaced. The new norms were announced amid claims by a Minister that the ongoing conventional war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealem (LTTE).

Foreign Support
According to G.L. Peiris, Minister of Export Development and International Trade, the war would be over within three weeks and foreign firms had agreed to implement mega projects subsequently.

As per the Government estimates, nearly 60,000 civilians have crossed over into the Government-controlled areas since January 2009 and 40,000 have been trapped in the war zone.

The UNHCR stated that as the lead agency for IDPs it iscarrying out its mandate to ensure that the conditions at the IDP sites are in line with international standards.
As part of these efforts, the agency put forward to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) a set of principles which must be fulfilled to ensure full compliance with global standards at the IDP sites in the three districts.

Humanitarian Access
Chief amongst these is the safety and security of IDPs, humanitarian access, freedom of movement, maintaining the civilian character of the sites, regular visits by friends and relatives of the IDPs and the immediate release of persons with special needs (elderly, pregnant women, unaccompanied and separated children, persons with disabilities and those who have suffered trauma etc.), to be referred to the appropriate national authorities for specialized assistance.

It said that the agency has called on the GoSL to separate the 300ex-combatants from the civilian population at the sites, and accommodate them in a separate facility where they can undergo rehabilitation in line with international standards.

The UNHCR welcomed recent initiatives by the GoSL to start the release of persons with special needs (some 371 elderly persons have already been released) and begin reunifying separated families inside the IDP sites and noted that the GoSL has drawn up a plan to facilitate visits by relatives of the IDPs to the sites, once the registration process is complete.