Tsunami Disaster
in Sri Lanka
Over 30,000 bodies recovered and over 8,000 are still
missing, nearly 5,000 people have suffered injuries and
around 1,000,000 (1 Million) people have been affected
until January 8, 2005
by Tsunami waves in Sri Lanka.
District |
Number
of
Bodies Found
|
Number
of Families
displaced |
| Jaffna |
2,640 |
6,824 |
| Kilinochchi |
560 |
10,651 |
| Mullaitivu |
3,000 |
5,484 |
| Trincomalee |
1,079 |
28,568 |
| Batticaloa |
2,731 |
27,963 |
| Amparai |
13,128 |
31,235 |
| Hambantota |
4,500 |
1,000 |
| Matara |
1,206 |
1,000 |
| Galle |
4,156 |
7,000 |
| Kaluthura |
217 |
3,000 |
Sri Lanka - Preliminary Damage
and Needs Assement
(Report prepared by Asian Development Bank, Japan
Bank for International and World Bank)
Photo
Gallery - Tidal wave disaster in Sri Lanka
AN URGENT APPEAL
By now you have probably heard of the Tsunami (Tidal Waves)
that hit countries around the eastern Indian Ocean. According
to reports, of all the countries affected, Sri Lanka was
affected the most, of which the eastern coast (from eastern
Jaffna to Matara) is the worst affected.
Unlike the areas readily accessible to western reporters
(south Sri Lanka, eastern India, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.)
the news from the northeast Sri Lanka is very sketchy. The
resource poor TamilNet (www.tamilnet.com)
and TamilNaatham (www.TamilNaatham.com)
are doing their best and the news so far shows devastating
damage. Over 5,000 have been reported killed, and the death
toll is expected to rise. Hundreds of thousands are said
to be displaced and the exact figures are unknown. The already
impoverished population in the northeast are said to be
without food, shelter and sanitation.
According to today’s New York Times, officials in Colombo
are claiming ignorance of the situation in the northeast.
The report said:
“It is a huge tragedy,” said Lalith Weerathunga, secretary
to the Sri Lankan prime minister. “The death toll is going
up all the time.” He said the government did not know what
was happening in areas of the northeast controlled by Tamil
Tiger rebels.
This doesn’t surprise us, as the Colombo government as
always treated the northeast in a step-motherly fashion.
The international community that is likely to respond to
Colombo’s call for help will channel relief through the
government, and we are concerned as to how much of this
will reach the really needy. The past experience is not
all very encouraging.
The Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and the International
Medical Health Organization (IMHO) are best equipped to
provide relief to the displaced survivors and have already
started their work. These two organizations are the most
transparent and the most cost-effective of all the local
and international NGOs functioning in Sri Lanka.
Please make a donation to one of the following organizations.
You can rest assured that one hundred percent of your donation
will go towards the relief work, with nothing taken out
for administrative costs.
This is the greatest tragedy to strike our brethren in
the northeast Sri Lanka and the need is urgent. Please give
the most you can.
Please send your tax deductible donation, by check or money
order, made payable to IMHO.
DO IT TODAY, and send us an e-mail confirmation (imho@imhousa.org).
Tell your friends (forward this message or call them) and
ask them to do the same.
Board of Directors
International Medical Health Organization
P.O. Box 901,
Bel Air,
MD 21014-0901
USA
(Make check payable to ‘International Medical Health Organization’
( or IMHO) to claim your tax-deduction)
