A recent assessment by the Shelter, Land and Site Coordination Sector, co-led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), found that 4,729 individuals from 1,332 families are currently living in 45 active sites in Badulla, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya, Colombo, Matale and Kandy.
While many of the 80 initially assessed centres have closed since the cyclone struck all 25 districts, dozens remain operational months later raising concerns about living conditions and prolonged displacement.
The report highlights that 35 percent of centres lack specific measures to prevent violence or harassment, such as security patrols or formal codes of conduct. Dedicated breastfeeding spaces are available in only 27 percent of locations, despite pregnant and lactating mothers being identified in 64 percent of the sites.
Accessibility also remains a challenge. Although persons with disabilities account for around one percent of the displaced population, more than half of the centres host at least one individual with a disability. However, 60 percent of sites are reported to be not fully accessible to them, and only a small number of toilets are disability-friendly.
Sanitation facilities are under strain, with 202 toilets serving residents across the 45 active sites an average of 23 persons per toilet exceeding the internationally recognised SPHERE emergency standard of 20 persons per toilet.
Health services show mixed availability. Health workers regularly visit 64 percent of sites and referral systems to hospitals are in place at most locations. However, only 40 percent of centres have a first aid kit or health post on-site, nearly a quarter report difficulties accessing medicines, and psychosocial support services are available in just over half of the shelters.
Although all internally displaced persons are registered and most centres are government-managed, nearly half of site representatives expressed uncertainty over how long operations would continue. Some centres, particularly in Badulla and Kegalle, may remain open beyond three months, while others are expected to close within one to three months as relocation plans progress and public buildings return to normal use.
