The ICRC has been present in Sri Lanka since 1989, responding to humanitarian needs resulting from the uprising of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in the South, and thereafter, from the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the North and East of the country.
In Sri Lanka, the ICRC:
- Provides livelihood assistance, and water and sanitation facilities to vulnerable households and communities in the north and east of Sri Lanka
- Supports families of missing persons by working with authorities to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the people missing, and helping to address the economic, psycho-social, legal and administrative needs of the families
- Supports prison authorities to ensure better treatment and conditions for all detainees in detention centres across the country, including assistance to improve existing prison management systems
- Supports judicial medical institutions and authorities to safeguard the dignity of the dead and the living by enhancing technical forensic skills
- Promotes International humanitarian Law and International human rights law among academics, national authorities, civil society, and members of the security forces and the police
- Supports and collaborates with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) to promote humanitarian values and implement activities in the former conflict areas
More information: on ICRC's work in Sri Lanka
