Country Profile - Sri Lanka

Context

After a decades-long conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Sri Lanka is in the midst of ongoing efforts to secure national reconciliation and transitional justice.

The security situation has worsened following a series of suicide bomb attacks during Easter Sunday that left many dead and revived inter-ethnic and religious tensions. The situation remains strained, as the government has warned of the need for continued caution and the potential for more attacks.

Alongside these security concerns, Sri Lanka is also vulnerable to natural disasters, especially heavy rains, flooding and landslides during the monsoon season. Over the past few years, monsoon rains have caused large-scale destruction, with loss of life and mass displacement. 1

Sri Lanka Map
Related Documents
Sri Lanka case study 2019

INTERVENTION

The Adolescent Kit was first introduced in Sri Lanka at UNICEF-supported child-friendly spaces in flood-affected communities in Ratnapura district. The Kit was used to engage 500 adolescent members of children’s clubs. These clubs are community volunteer groups, consisting of mostly adolescents, who work with Government Child Rights Promotion Officers (CRPOs) to raise awareness on child protection and child rights issues. There are about 4000 active children’s clubs in Sri Lanka.

Based on the experiences and lessons learned during the Kit’s pilot phase – including from adolescents’ feedback – the Kit content has been adapted to the Sri Lankan context, and a training module has been developed in both local languages to show CRPOs and children’s club members in Rathnapura, Kalutara and Galle districts how to effectively use the Kit during a disaster to respond to the needs of adolescent girls and boys and ensure their stability and safety.

The National Department of Probation and Child Care Services is the lead government partner in adapting the Kit to local needs. It has demonstrated strong ownership of the Kit since it was first introduced in Sri Lanka, including during the design, planning and implementation stages. The Department obtained funding to roll out Kit-related training at the district and divisional levels.

Over 300 trained officials and 500 adolescents actively advocate for the use of the Kit in their communities. The officials are on a stand-by roster, ready to be deployed during an emergency to support children’s clubs in disaster-affected areas as they use the Kit.

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