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Sri Lanka
SNAPSHOT
Date of independence: 1948
Capital: Colombo
Population: 20 million
Income per person: $1,033 (yr)
Source: UNDP 2006
USAID IN SRI LANKA
srilanka.usaid.gov
CONTACTS
Mission Director
Rebecca Cohn
USAID/Colombo
Department of State
Washington, DC 20521-6100
Tel: 94-11-247-2855
Sri Lanka Desk Officer
Zdenek Suda
Tel: (202) 712-1115
Email: zsuda@usaid.gov
A young girl affiliated with the Eastern United Women's Organization pins a peace emblem to the uniform of a soldier in Trincomalee during commemoration of International Peace Day September 21, 2006. "We want peace too," the soldier told the girl. (Photo: USAID) Overview
Resumption of conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the North and the failure to maintain a credible peace process are preventing Sri Lanka from transforming into a prosperous, stable democracy. Facilitating a return to peace and resolving the conflict through a political settlement is a major U.S. Government priority. Economically, the Western Province accounts for almost half the GDP in the country, yet a World Bank study shows that the greatest opportunity for growth will be in the conflict areas in the North once peace takes hold and in the newly liberated areas in the East.
Although the government is concerned about these “lagging regions,” the continuing conflict makes development programs challenging to implement, thereby exacerbating regional inequities. Given the shifting humanitarian context, USAID has developed a new strategy to deliver assistance to conflict-affected populations in the newly liberated areas, focusing in particular on contributing to a positive transformation of Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province. USAID will maintain its commitment to the successful completion and handing over of its tsunami reconstruction program by the end of 2008.
Programs
USAID’s Democracy and Governance program creates structures and capacity for increased citizen engagement with local government, the peace process, and community mediation. Training and technical assistance links the public sector with local communities. The Economic Growth program provides technical assistance to small and micro enterprises to increase the competitiveness of key value chains, including through increased access to finance, and promotes workforce development and education in key skill areas. The Humanitarian Assistance program provides services and protection to targeted vulnerable populations, and strengthens the capacity of local organizations to provide humanitarian services to meet the needs of these populations.
Economic and Social Transition (EAST)
USAID has created a new two-pronged strategy to support positive transformation in the Eastern Province and adjoining districts by developing the regional economy and local private sector investment opportunities, as well as strengthening local government and increasing citizen participation in the governance process. Other activities will include rehabilitation or rebuilding of schools and hospitals. USAID will maintain offices in the East to address regional needs.
Supporting Regional Governance (SuRG) will work toward enhancing the positive benefits of post-conflict transformation in the Eastern Province that began in 2007 and will aim to create structures and develop capacity for increased citizen engagement in regional and local government, strengthening inter-community reconciliation and promoting social equity. It will also help raise awareness of the need to protect journalists and promote alternative media networks, and support information dissemination strategies to increase public dialogue on democracy and governance reforms and strengthen conflict mitigation mechanisms available to affected populations. Technical assistance and training in financial management, citizen participation, and improved service delivery will enhance accountability in local governance.
Connecting Regional Economies (CORE) will build on the successful Competitiveness Program to address economic development based on the premise that strong growth can help establish conditions conducive to a political solution. It will promote the competitiveness of agriculturally based value chains to expand economic activity in the poorest districts in the country. CORE will ensure that groups located in conflict-affected areas benefit from these value chains by strengthening financial services and facilitating access to loans, capital equipment, and small infrastructure. The program will implement a workforce development strategy that develops private-public partnerships responsive to market demands.
Tsunami Reconstruction
The December 2004 tsunami killed nearly 40,000 people in Sri Lanka and devastated infrastructure and livelihoods of thousands more. The $134.5 million tsunami reconstruction program consists of projects specially targeted to spur economic growth. Projects include construction of a $10 million bridge over Arugam Bay, a potentially lucrative tourist hub, reconstruction or rehabilitation of 10 vocational schools providing training in relevant areas, installation of improved water supply systems, also in the East, and upgrades of three damaged fishing harbors that will modernize a core engine of the economy. A coastal management component and small grants round out the programs, all of which were developed in consultation with local communities.
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