Publication

This publication examines the extent and effectiveness of coordinated humanitarian action by various agencies during Eelam War III in Sri Lanka between 1994 and 1996. The author discusses some of the general obstacles to effective coordination encountered by various NGOs, the UN and governments and then presents the Sri Lankan government's claim to authority over the island. The publication concludes that the most important obstacle to effective coordination was the absence of an effective institutional link to coordinate the humanitarian efforts of both the government and those of specialized agencies.