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They are of all shapes, sizes and colors. The tsunami hit areas of the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka look like a world conference amid rubble. Every cluster of camping tents has a flag showing the name of the non-governmental organization or the country that it has come from. There are vehicles flying flags of NGOs and armed forces that are working with the tsunami victims in the east and south of the country. Quick surf of the Web sites of many international NGOs gives an impression that they have taken care of all the problems of the victims in Sri Lanka. Most of them claim to be busy constructing temporary shelters for people now living in welfare camps or under tarpaulin. In spite of these loud assertions that fetch the aid agencies huge donations back home, thousands of tsunami survivors have to go without food at times and run for shelter when it rains heavily. "Last night I had to go to the Buddhist temple because my tent collapsed," Lakshman, a barber, who was displaced by the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka on Dec. 26. "The aid workers, who come here every morning, did not turn up when it rained heavily. They know that the tents cannot withstand heavy shower." Outside the office of Government Agent or the chief administrator of one of the districts, representatives of NGOs are perched in a row like birds on a wall. They wait for their turn to meet the officer and promise him the moon. "One of the agencies working in the district has promised to rebuild the entire city, but it has no experience in civil engineering. It is recognized world over for medical relief," said a government official in the southern Matara district. The tsunami has sparked of fierce competition between aid agencies. They are trying to outsmart each other and in the process, making promises that cannot be fulfilled. In most places aid agencies work in camps that are alongside the road. It increases their visibility. Camps in far flung areas still depend on armed forces and government officials for succor. As all the agencies are trying to work on water, sanitation and health, confusion reigns supreme. The government, on its part, does not have a system to ensure coordination between the NGOs to reduce duplication of work. In the capital Colombo, the aid agencies are calling up reporters to invite them to visit the areas where they are working. "We are working in Matara, Hambantota, Galle, Batticaloa and Ampara. If you are going to any of these places, please let us know. We can arrange a visit to the camp where we are working,'' a public relations official of an NGO said over the phone. Persistent queries revealed that the aid organization was involved in "advocacy," trying to convince the district officials that the tsunami victims living in welfare shelters should not be moved to temporary shelters for the next few months. Asked if the agency was doing something for the people that could help them recover from the tragedy, the answer was a long winding one with full of jargon. "Oh yes, we are distributing NFRI (nonfood relief items) and also doing Wat/San (water and sanitation). We have also taken up protection issues and working with children to provide them counseling," the public relations official said. Plane loads of clothes, bottled water and relief items arrived in the country a couple of days after the tsunami strike. While water was exhausted quickly, food items and clothes have gone to waste. Hundreds of thousands of cans of baked beans, canned meat and frozen raw meat were never consumed. "The donors had no idea of what Sri Lankans eat," said a government officer working with relief agencies. "The expression of solidarity made us feel that we are not alone, but what they sent was of no use to our people." At a Buddhist temple near Seenegama in Galle district, women burned excesses clothes that they had received as aid. "These do not fit us, some of it is woolen," said Dilusha, who was burning the clothes. "There is so much of it in the temple that we have no place to keep anything else, so we decided to burn it." According to rough estimates, the killer wave left some 7,000 children orphaned and thousands of women widowed. Not one aid agency has set up a children's home or a home for destitute women. "We do not believe in institutionalizing children," said an official of an aid agency that works with children. "We are into advocacy, and we believe that children should be with families and not in children's homes." Thousands of medical experts turned up soon after the disaster hit Sri Lanka. Many of them are still around struggling to help people. "What is trauma?'' asked a doctor, who has come from far East Asia. In his broken English, the doctor asked the interpreter to explain what the patient meant by trauma. "Why has he come here when he cannot understand either English or Tamil?" said 64-year-old Ganesan, a retired government employee, who speaks fluent English. "I tried to explain to him that the child is traumatized, but the doctor does not understand English." Some
of the aid agencies have won the hearts and minds of people. Those
constructing temporary shelters or employing the displaced, jobless men
have gained the respect of the people.
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