Sri Lanka: Location of army, and UNHCR, camps including their names and those of cities or villages where they are situated

No information on the location of army camps/bases could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Writing in 1998 Naidoo reported that there were five kinds of UNHCR relief facilities: "Open Relief Centres, Open Relief Sub-Centres, Transit Centres, Welfare Centres and Refugee Camps" (42). According to Naidoo "Open Relief Centres (ORCs) have been defined as 'temporary place(s) where displaced persons on the move can freely enter or leave and obtain essential relief assistance in a relatively safe environment"; she identified ORCs at Pesalai on Mannar Island and at Madhu (ibid., 43). "Open Relief Sub-Centres (ORSCs) are decentralized facilities, which permit persons who are destitute and would otherwise feel constrained to displace themselves in search of better conditions, to receive some assistance, thereby enabling them to remain and continue a satisfactory socio-economic activity in their home areas" (ibid.). Naidoo reported that there were four ORSCs on mainland Mannar that were "dependent on Mannar ORC" (ibid.). Please see the attached pages for a further listing of UNHCR camps for displaced persons.

In 1999 the UNHCR reported that it had field offices in Jaffna, Madhu, Mallavi Vavuniya, and Trincomalee, as well as the Branch Office in Colombo (18 Mar. 1999, 19). On an undated map UNHCR reported that it had "UNHCR-Assisted Centres" in Talaimannar, Palampiddy, Madhu, Asikulam, Addampankulam, Alle Garden, with a reception center in Trincomalee. Please see the attached maps from the UNHCR that indicate the location of its branch offices and UNHCR-assisted centres (n.d.), as well as UNHCR partner activities as of February 1999.

No further information on the location of UNHCR camps could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Naidoo, Josephine C. and Pamela J. Schaus. 1998. The Tragedy of Sri Lanka: Ethnic Conflict and Forced Migration. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 18 March 1999. Background Paper on Sri Lanka for the European Union High Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration. Geneva: UNHCR.

Attachments

Naidoo, Josephine C. and Pamela J. Schaus. 1998. The Tragedy of Sri Lanka: Ethnic Conflict and Forced Migration. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University. pp. 44-45.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). n.d. "Sri Lanka." [Accessed 2 Mar. 2001]

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Environmental Database. February 1999. "Sri Lanka : Partner's Activity." [Accessed 2 Mar. 2001]

Additional Sources Consulted

Danish Immigration Service (DIS). July 1999. Report on Fact-Finding Mission to Sri Lanka: 14 November to 5 December 1998. IRB databases

Global IDP Project of Norwegian Refugee Council (IDP), Geneva. April 2000. Internally Displaced Persons in Sri Lanka.

LEXIS-NEXIS

REFWORLD

The World Factbook 2000.

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites including:

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

The British Army

Danger Finder

Derechos Human Rights

InfoLanka

Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS)

Peace Brigades International

Sinhaya

Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation

UNHCR

United States Army

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

U.S. Committee for Refugees