The escalating conflict in the Middle East is of such magnitude, with loss of life, the destruction of cities, and global energy shortages, that it is diverting attention worldwide and in Sri Lanka from other serious problems. In Sri Lanka, this diversion is compounded by domestic difficulties, including petrol shortages and long lines in front of petrol stations, which absorb both public concern and Governmental focus. Barely four months ago, Sri Lanka experienced a cyclone of epic proportions that caused torrential rains accompanied by floods and landslides. The immediate displacement exceeded one million people, though the number of deaths was about 640, with around 200 others reported missing. The visual images of entire towns and villages being inundated, with some swept away by floodwaters, evoked an overwhelming humanitarian response from the general population.
When the crisis of displacement was at its height, there was a concerted public response. People set up emergency kitchens and volunteer clean-up teams fanned out to make flooded homes inhabitable again. Religious institutions, civil society organisations and local communities worked together to assist the displaced. For a brief period, the country witnessed a powerful demonstration of social solidarity. The scale of the devastation prompted the Government to offer generous aid packages. These included assistance for the rebuilding of damaged houses, support for building new houses, grants for clean-up operations and rent payments to displaced families. Welfare centres were also set up for those unable to find temporary housing.
The Government also appointed a Presidential Task Force to lead post-cyclone rebuilding efforts. The mandate of the Task Force is to coordinate post-disaster response mechanisms, streamline institutional efforts and ensure the effective implementation of rebuilding programmes in the aftermath of the cyclone. The body comprises a high-level team led by the Prime Minister and including Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Provincial-level officials, senior public servants representing key State institutions and civil society representatives. It was envisaged that the Task Force would function as the central coordinating authority, working with Government agencies and other stakeholders to accelerate recovery initiatives and restore essential services in the affected regions.
Yet, nearly four months on, the sense of urgency that prevailed in the immediate aftermath has begun to dissipate. The attention of the Government, like that of the public, has been drawn to other crises. In the process, the voices from the flood zones are weakening. Those who suffered the most are beginning to feel that their problems are no longer a priority. The result is a growing loss of faith that the promises made to them will in fact be fulfilled.
Demotivated service
Four months after the cyclone, a visit to one of the worst of the affected areas to meet with affected families from five villages revealed that they remain stranded and in a state of limbo. Most of these people had suffered terribly from the cyclone. Some had lost their homes. A few had lost family members. Many had been informed that the land on which they lived had become unsafe and that they would need to relocate. Most of them had received the promised money for clean-up and some had received rent payments for two months. However, little had happened beyond this. The longer term process of rebuilding houses, securing land and restoring livelihoods has barely begun. As a result, families who had already endured the trauma of disaster now face prolonged uncertainty about their future. It seems that once again the promises made by the political leadership have not reached the ground.
A Government officer explained that the public service is highly demotivated. According to him, many officials felt that they have too much work piled upon them with too little resources to do much about it. They also believed that they are underpaid for the work that they are expected to carry out. In fact, there had even been a call by public officials especially assigned to cyclone relief work to go on strike due to complaints about their conditions of work. This Government official appreciated the Government leadership’s commitment to non-corruption. But, he noted the irony that this had also contributed to a demotivation of the public service. This was on the unjustifiable basis that approving and implementing projects more quickly requires an incentive system.
Whether or not this explanation fully captures the situation, it points to an issue that the Government needs to address. Disaster recovery requires a proactive public administration. Officials need to reach out to the affected communities, provide clear information and help them navigate the complex procedures required to access assistance. At the consultation with cyclone victims, this was precisely the concern that people raised. They said that Government officers are not proactive in reaching out to them. Many felt that they had little engagement with the State and that the Government officers did not come to them. This suggests that the Government system at the community level could be supported by non-governmental organisations that have the capacity and experience of working with communities at the grassroots.
In situations such as this, the Government needs to think about ways of motivating public officials to do more rather than less. It needs to identify legitimate incentives that reward initiative and performance. These could include special allowances for those working in disaster affected areas, recognition and promotion for officers who successfully complete relief and reconstruction work, and the provision of additional staff and logistical support so that the workload is manageable. Clear targets and deadlines, with support from the non-governmental sector, can also encourage officials to act more proactively. When Government officers feel supported and recognised for the extra effort required, they are more likely to engage actively with the affected communities and ensure that the assistance reaches those who need it the most.
Political solutions
Under the prevailing circumstances however, the cyclone victims do not know what to do. As time passes and engagement with the State remains limited, there is a growing sense among them that their problems will not be solved. The Government needs to act on this without further delay. What is required is an act of will, a clear decision at the highest political level that the needs of the cyclone victims will be addressed and that the promises made at a time when emotions were high will be implemented in full.
Government policy states that families can receive financial assistance of up to Rs. five million to build new houses if they have identified the land on which they wish to build. But, there is little freehold land available in many of the affected areas. As a result, people cannot show Government officials the land that they plan to buy and therefore cannot access the Government’s promised funds. The Government needs to address this issue by providing a list of available places for resettlement both within and outside the areas in which they live. However, another finding at the meeting was that many cyclone victims whose lands have been declared unsafe do not wish to leave them. Even those who have been told that their land is unstable feel more comfortable remaining where they have lived for many years. Relocating to an unfamiliar area is not an easy decision.
Another problem that the victims face is the difficulty of obtaining the documents necessary to receive compensation. Families with missing members cannot prove that their loved ones are no longer alive. Without official confirmation, they cannot access property rights or benefits that would normally pass to surviving family members. These are problems that Sri Lanka has faced before in the context of the three-decade-long internal war. It has set up new legal mechanisms such as the provision of certificates of absence validated by the Office on Missing Persons in place of death certificates when individuals remain missing for long periods. The Government also needs to be sensitive to the fact that people who are farmers cannot be settled anywhere. Farming is not possible in every location. Access to suitable land and water is essential if farmers are to rebuild their livelihoods. Relocation programmes that fail to take these realities into account risk creating new psychological and economic hardships.
The message from the consultation with cyclone victims is that the political leadership at the highest levels needs to resolve the problems that Government officers on the ground cannot solve. Issues relating to land availability, legal documentation and livelihood restoration require policy decisions at higher levels. In a context where global crises and domestic shortages compete for attention, it will require a conscious and sustained commitment by the Government to ensure that the victims of the cyclone are not forgotten. Demonstrating that Sri Lanka is a society that considers the well-being of all its citizens to be a priority will require not only financial assistance but also a motivated public service and proactive political leadership that reaches out to those still waiting to rebuild their lives.
The writer is the Executive Director of the National Peace Council organization
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The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication