When families are displaced by disaster and relocated to safety centres, the concept of safety goes beyond having a roof overhead, as ensuring dignity, privacy, and protection, becomes critical.
In the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, thousands of families across Sri Lanka have been living in safety centres for extended periods. For women, girls, older persons, and persons with disabilities, prolonged displacement can heighten risks of gender-based violence (GBV) and deepen everyday challenges, from safety concerns when accessing toilets at night, to finding private spaces for sleeping, breastfeeding, or seeking psychosocial support in times of distress.
This is why UNFPA, together with government counterparts has been conducting GBV Safety Verifications in safety centres across affected districts. These verifications are not inspections or fault-finding exercises. They are participatory, risk mitigation interventions designed to understand how the layout, management, and day-to-day functioning of shelters may increase or reduce risks for women and girls, and explore what practical actions can be taken to make these spaces safer and more dignified.
To date, UNFPA has carried out GBV Safety Verifications in 17 safety centres across the Matale, Kandy, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya and Kegalle districts. The assessments examined key areas including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, sexual and reproductive health services, protection and referral pathways, lighting and security, accessibility for persons of disabilities, information sharing, and environmental safety risks.
Through these assessments, UNFPA and partners have listened closely to people residing at safety centres and frontline responders, identifying both strengths and gaps: from challenges around lighting, privacy, and accessible facilities, to the need for safer reporting spaces, inclusive services, and stronger coordination across sectors.
At the same time, the verifications have highlighted community resilience, local solutions and response from state and non state actors, including ways families and service providers adapt to protect dignity even with limited resources. These refer to innovative ways of using sarees for partitioning and for making cradles for infants, shared meal preparations on a roster basis, and building social dialogue, where possible.
GBV Safety Verifications help ensure that protection is not treated as an afterthought, but as a core part of humanitarian response and recovery. The findings guide evidence-based improvements, strengthen coordination between health, protection, WASH and security actors, and support advocacy to ensure women and girls remain safe, not only during emergencies, but throughout prolonged displacement.
As recovery continues, UNFPA remains committed to working alongside communities and government partners to ensure that safety centres are places of care, dignity, and protection for all.
