Controversy over Indian aid distribution

India Thursday formally handed over to the international Red Cross nearly 1,700 tonnes of relief material meant for civilians displaced by war in Sri Lanka’s north, but a top government official insisted that Colombo alone would distribute the aid.

Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad handed over the gift certificate to Paul Castella, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sri Lanka, at what the envoy said was “a simple but solemn occasion” reported IANS.

Prasad said it was for distribution among the war-hit population and hoped that the goods “would help meet the humanitarian needs of the people”.

“This (Indian) consignment consists of food, clothing and personnel hygiene items, which have been packed individually into 80,000 family packs for easy distribution and to ensure that the assistance reaches directly to the intended recipients,” he was quoted as saying.

Addressing reporters at the venue, Sri Lanka’s Commissioner General of Essential Service (CGES) S.B. Divaratne and ICRC’s Castella thanked India for its goodwill gesture, but openly contradicted each other on the issue of who will distribute the relief supply to the needy.

Claiming that “food, shelter as well as access to water, sanitation and health care are the most pressing needs that our staff in the Vanni could observe at present”, the ICRC official said his organisation intended to take the Indian donation “to the Vanni in the coming weeks”.

“The food, hygiene items and clothes donated by the Indian government will be distributed directly to civilians by the ICRC teams working in the Vanni to alleviate the suffering created by armed conflict,” he said.

“This is the first time that the Indian Government has assisted the conflict affected population of Sri Lanka through the ICRC and I would like to underline how much we appreciate the trust the Indian authorities have shown in us and its recognition of the ICRC’s work in Sri Lanka to date,” Castella said in his address to the media.

An ICRC media statement also went on to say that the ICRC would be distributing the aid provided by the Indian government ‘directly’ to the displaced people and to residents affected by the conflict in the Vanni.

“We will do so in accordance with our own independent assessment of people’s needs,” Francois Stamm who heads the ICRC’s regional delegation in New Delhi said in the statement.

However when a journalist posed a question to specify clearly as to who would handle the distribution, Divaratne maintained firmly that the goods would be distributed by the government agents and the ICRC would only facilitate them.

“No foreign organisation can directly go and distribute food (to) anybody there, bypassing the government mechanisms,” he said.

Assuring that the relief assistance would “definitely reach” the affected people, he said the government in consultation with Government Agents “will facilitate the operation with the ICRC”.

“It is the Government Agents of the districts who know where people are displaced and living. It is a joint operation,” Divaratne said.

When a clarification on the matter was sought by the ICRC head, the news conference was adjourned with ICRC officials claiming that the question and answer session had ended.

Meanwhile, a meeting between government agents in the north, other government officials and the ICRC is due to take place today to finalise the route which will be taken to transport the goods.

When asked what route would be taken, Divaratne said the government would transport the goods through the A9 passing Vavuniya, Puliyankulum, Nedunkerni and Oddusuddan.

He also said the government had identified areas where the displaced civilians resided so that it would make it easier for the government agents to distribute the goods.

Nearly 1,680 tonnes of relief materials, shipped into Sri Lanka in 100 containers, are now housed in the ICRC warehouse near Colombo, ready to be transported to the island’s north.

Thousands of civilians, almost wholly Tamils, have been displaced in fighting between the military and the Tamil Tigers.

The consignment came as a follow up to a visit to New Delhi last month by Colombo’s special envoy Basil Rajapaksa when both sides decided that India would take part in providing humanitarian relief aid.

“I am happy to note that this substantial consignment has arrived in Colombo within three weeks of the two countries taking that decision. It is a combined effort of the government of India and donations received from the people of Tamil Nadu,” the Indian envoy said.

Claiming that it “is a gesture of goodwill and is intended to bring some relief to the civilians in the conflict areas”, Prasad said that India “is committed to providing humanitarian assistance”.

“We will evaluate the situation and what the needs and requirement are and we may bring additional consignment as required,” he said.

Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohana, who was also at the handover, said there was no estimate of the displaced in the conflict zone as a census has not been conducted.

“We believe the figure of 230,000 to 300,000 estimated displaced by various agencies is grossly exaggerated. The government’s own assessment is that the figure could be around 100,000,” he said.