Lanka has not received enough global attention – The Economist

In the spate of catastrophic floods wreaking havoc from Australia to Brazil, the biblical disaster afflicting Sri Lanka has not received the global attention it merits, The Economist said in an article published on Monday.

The death toll is still below 40. But in terms of the numbers of people displaced and farmland inundated, the floods have been even more devastating than the tsunami of December 2004, The Economist said.

A further hazard stems from the large number of landmines sown during Sri Lanka’s long civil war, which ended less than two years ago. The United Nations has warned that floodwaters might shift undetected mines and other explosives to areas thought safe, it said.

Now, as the floodwaters are beginning to recede, the need for relief supplies is huge. On January 20th the United Nations is to launch a “flash” appeal for assistance. If help is inadequate or given grudgingly, doubtless some in Sri Lanka will feel victimised, the report said.

The tsunami came during an uneasy ceasefire in the war with the Tigers. The distribution of aid became a contentious issue and actually contributed to the breakdown of the truce. This time, the hope must be it can help build a lasting peace, it concludes.

The full article is as follows

In the spate of catastrophic floods wreaking havoc from Australia to Brazil, the biblical disaster afflicting Sri Lanka has not received the global attention it merits.

The death toll is still below 40. But in terms of the numbers of people displaced and farmland inundated, the floods have been even more devastating than the tsunami of December 2004.

According to the Government’s figures, more than one million people have been affected, nearly 400,000 displaced and over 200,000 are still in emergency camps.

A further hazard stems from the large number of landmines sown during Sri Lanka’s long civil war, which ended less than two years ago. The United Nations has warned that floodwaters might shift undetected mines and other explosives to areas thought safe.

Many of those suffering from the floods, in the east of the country, are members of the Tamil minority, in whose name the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam waged its long bloody secessionist campaign. Many suffered both the Tigers’ brutality and the ferocity of the government assault that ended the war in 2009.

Optimists hope that flood relief will give the government a chance to achieve reconciliation with this alienated minority. They note that President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 14 January reiterated his commitment to sharing power at the centre, and devolving it to Tamil-majority areas.

The disaster may also offer the chance to repair damaged relations with international donors and aid agencies, as well as with domestic NGOs. These frayed in the war’s last days, as Sri Lanka’s Government restricted access to the conflict and was accused by some agencies of committing war crimes in its haste to defeat the Tigers.

Some international agencies, frustrated at government restrictions, have quit the country. Foreign aid workers have found it hard to get visas. Aid flows from the West have been cut back.

Now, as the floodwaters are beginning to recede, the need for relief supplies is huge. On January 20th the United Nations is to launch a “flash” appeal for assistance. If help is inadequate or given grudgingly, doubtless some in Sri Lanka will feel victimised.

As for the local NGOs, Jehan Perera of the National Peace Council, a Sri Lankan NGO, has written in his weekly e-mail column of the lingering suspicions between the Government and the NGOs.

“The constant stream of statements by government politicians with a nationalist orientation that NGOs are a threat to national security have had their impact upon public consciousness. It is inevitable that in these circumstances the ability of NGOs to supplement the work of the government in terms of emergency response will be limited and the response will be muted.”

The tsunami came during an uneasy ceasefire in the war with the Tigers. The distribution of aid became a contentious issue and actually contributed to the breakdown of the truce. This time, the hope must be it can help build a lasting peace.