Counseling coordinators to start public awareness campaign

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 January 2005, 14:10 GMT]
Importance of urgently starting a public awareness campaign on the counseling needs for the survivors of tsunami disaster was discussed in a coordinating meeting of representatives of humanitarian organisations held Tuesday 2 pm at the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR) located at Karadipokku in Kilinochchi, sources in Kilinochchi said.



More than 30 participants from 23 different humanitarian organizations attended the meeting.

Counseling coordinators from the local NGOs, Karuna Nilayam, Annai Illam, Kilinochchi Association for Rehabilitation of the Disabled (KAROD), International NGOs UNICEF, ICRC, Medicine Sans Frontiers (MSF) and SHADE attended. Center for Health Care (CHC) and Tamil Eealm Health Services (TEHS) and the Sri Lankan Government officials from the Health Department of Mullaitivu and the MOH office of Kilinochchi also participated.

The counseling coordinators reviewed their experiences and discussed laying out a broader framework that promoted greater co-ordination to carry out the counseling to the great numbers affected by the tragedy.

The INGOs called for a proposal identifying the needs of these training for their considerations and funding. The Center for Health Care (CHC) offered to develop and submit this proposal within the next two days.

Need for training of counselors, medical staff at various medical centres, camp volunteers, and teachers was identified as an immediate need. Mr. K. Suganthan of the Tamil Eelam Health Services (TEHS) was named to coordinate the Training Project with assistance from Fr Reginald, director of Annai Illam.

The meeting took place at the NESOHR office in Karadipokku in Kilinochchi at 2 PM Tuesday.