Programme description

Title: Food Security and Conflict Transformation in Batticaloa
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Sri Lanka
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Nation Building and Development
Overall term: November 2003 to November 2006

Context

The twenty year long civil war in the northeast of Sri Lanka has left a considerably destroyed social and economic infrastructure. Especially children and women, ex soldiers with disabilities and orphans are undernourished or malnourished. Most of the youth are unemployed. The Batticaloa District is especially affected. The fighting was very intensive here and caused enormous destruction. In addition tensions are high between the Government of Sri Lanka and its army on one side and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) on the other side as well as directly between the Tamils and the Muslims in the area. The situation can deteriorate further, if the internally displaced persons will return in big numbers to the up till now LTTE controlled areas. The absorption capacity is limited. Land use issues are still not clarified.

Objective

The overall goal of the programme is to improve the food security of the poor and the war affected people in Batticaloa District and to achieve a sustainable stability of their economic and social base for living.

Approach

The programme combines interventions of humanitarian aid and technical cooperation. It consist of the following components 

• establishment and rehabilitation of social and economic village infrastructure as well as their sustainable use 
• rehabilitation of agricultural production, promotion of income generating activities through backward linkages 
• promotion of decentralized administrative structures
• implementation of non violent conflict management measures as well as measures towards violence free conflict transformation through strengthening the capacities of local stakeholders and promotion of local peace and reconciliation approaches.

Agriculture extension and training, income generating activities, microfinance systems, cash/food for work and rural development are important fields of activities.

The programme works closely with national nongovernment organizations as well as the World Food Programme. The programme activities are planned and implemented in partnership with the existing local government and private institutions and organizations in a participative and transparent manner together with the target population.

The programme is linked to the other programmes of international technical and financial cooperation that focus on the physical and social rehabilitation of communal infrastructure.

Address

Food Security and Conflict Transformation Batticaloa (FSCTB) Programme
Dr. Dietrich Stotz, Project Director
50 Mutaliyar
Batticaloa, Sri Lanka