Sri lanka- where can I help?

beynice

Member


Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC,NY,USA
Posts: 7 I've now decided to focus my trip on volenteering, if any one has any info please post. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'll be in south India on Jan 5th and then to Sri Lanka immediatly. I'm sure anybody can just show up and you will be recieved with much gratitude but it would be better to know were I can be most usefull(I'm not a doctor).

Latest toll in Sri Lanka- Over 4000 dead
-bey

Yetijuice

After the heavy rain and floods in Kulu/Manali in Himachal Pradesh on September 1-4, 1995 there were notices in the Indian newspapers for those wishing to make donations to send them to "The Prime Minister of India's Relief Fund," New Delhi, India.

For Sri Lanka you can use "The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka's Relief Fund," Colombo, Sri Lanka.

It is grim to see the seismic sea wave death toll go up by a thousand per hour. It currently is over 11,000. It is feared that 1,000 died in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is extremely tragic where entire families died or the children died and the parents survived. For the parents that is dying more than once.

I am wondering how bad the damage was in Aragam Bay on the east coast of Sri Lanka. As many of us IMers, I have previously visited several of the disaster areas: Trincomalee, Tangelle, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, Madras and Mahabalipuram among the ones now mentioned in the international press. Beaches are wonderful 99.99% of the time.

Those of us who are paying taxes to governments that are donating aid to the disaster areas are already giving. The money is already in the pipeline. Disaster aid is better done by government and organized charities than by individuals. Individuals who show up at disaster areas will use hotel/shelter space that is better utilized for the now homeless survivors. The emergency planning logistics (medicine, food, water, and shelter) being used today, RIGHT NOW, were already thought about. Housing reconstruction will be going strong on January 5th. Bring your tool kit with you!

Anyone else notice that the Burmese government is conspicuously silent about deaths and damage in Burma?

mira4bai4

As much as an individual effort would give something, the coordination of group efforts has the major benefit as it is structured. Keeping an eye out for NGO's and relief societies etc that have begun assistance work is probably the best way of becoming individually involved and then contacting their communications centre to network and gain permission to assist.

Burma 10 dead

Yetijuice

Consular officials and staff at foreign embassies and consulates are prepared to assist when disaster strikes. They provide a security feature for their citizens that are overseas. If a tourist/traveler must run from a seismic sea wave and leave a passport, airline tickets, travelers cheques, and money behind the embassy will reissue travel documents and provide a loaner air ticket to get home. You don't have to pay for that air ticket until you get home. If you don't repay your government the airfare, you will NOT get a new passport. The emergency passport your government issues you may have a short validity measured in weeks, not years.

The tourist/traveler will return to the comforts of home much sooner than the local residents who have suffered devastation and have nowheres else to go. The local population must have greater patience than the tourists. There is an excess of "hurry up and wait" after a disaster. Sad to say, there will be another disaster next month which will grab the world's attention and take this off the front page.

chathuri

Sri Lanak largly depend on tourism. Now most of the eastern and southern coastal line is in ruins. But still the people hope to clear the mess and get back to business next season (Dec 2005). You can help Sri Lanka by comeing back on your next vaccation.
On the other hand there are many popular tourist destinations like Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradapura, Sigiriya, Sinharaja forest and western coastal line.You can help the country by visiting those aread so that cash inflow form non affected areas will help the country to recover.

mdchachi

I received the following from a trustworthy Sri Lankan friend:

As you are probably aware, the recent devastation caused by the tsunami resulted in the loss of over 40,000 lives in Sri Lanka (as of 1 Jan). This is likely to increase as more bodies are discovered over the coming weeks and diseases are likely to spread taking more lives. In excess of a million people have been displaced. The people of Sri Lanka are desperately in need of assistance to rebuild their lives.

A few members from the Sinhaya Welfare Fund (SWF) visited the affected areas in southern Sri Lanka to deliver urgently requested medical supplies. We had an opportunity to witness the complete destruction in many coastal areas as well as speaking to survivors on their immediate and long-term needs. We are working directly with local community leaders and doctors to distribute supplies. By avoiding government organizations, we are able to reduce the time for the supplies to be effectively distributed. Where appropriate, we are working in conjunction with Sri Lanka Red Cross on certain projects.

As an immediate action, we need to deliver medical supplies to Hambantota (eastern Sri Lanka). Bodies are still left on the side of the road, casualties are still being treated and some survivors who are unable to come to terms with their horrific losses are attempting to commit suicide. We have received a list of needed supplies from the doctors within the area. In addition to this, we have also been requested to supply powdered milk, feeding bottles, pillows, mattresses, soap, undergarments and sanitary towels.

The next phase of the project would involve working with the local communities to rebuild the devastated areas. This includes reconstructing houses, providing basic utensils for cooking, supplying clean water and assisting the community to become self-sufficient. Fishing was the only means of income for most of the affected families. Nearly all fishing boats have been destroyed.

If you are able to assist the people of Sri Lanka during these tragic times, please make a contribution to a member of the SWF or to the following UK bank account:

Account Name: Sinhaya Welfare Fund
Account: 00996726
Sort Code: 20-41-41 [Barclays Bank]

Given that the rebuilding effort will take time, we would very much appreciate regular monthly contributions via standing orders.

Complete balance sheet statements will be distributed to all contributors. Alternatively, you can contribute via other organizations assisting tsunami affected areas, e.g. Sri Lanka Red Cross.

Wishing you a peaceful and prosperous 2005,

The Sinhaya Welfare Fund