The armed conflict in northern Sri Lanka intensified towards the end of 2008, and fighting has continued in the first few months of 2009. In response to Government forces advances into rebel-held areas and counterattacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) civilians are fleeing rebel-held areas. 

A large-scale humanitarian operation has been started by the international assistance community in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka, primarily in the northern district of Vavuniya, to deal with the current emergency.

Temporary shelters built from pre-assembled emergency shelter kits

UNOPS, with funding from UNHCR and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), is supporting construction of temporary shelters from pre-assembled ‘emergency shelter kits,’ and providing water and sanitation facilities as part of this effort.  UNOPS teams are working around the clock to meet the goal of constructing 10,000 shelters by the end of May 2009. The UNOPS water and sanitation team provides emergency toilets and site drainage, and are on standby to augment the water supply.

UNOPS is the largest provider of emergency shelters in Sri Lanka and UNHCR’s main partner for implementing shelters in the country.