Two-thirds of the Sri Lankan coastline took a direct hit from the South Asian tsunami that struck on  December 26, 2004. The northern, southern and eastern coastlines were ravaged. Homes, crops and fishing boats were destroyed.  At least 35,000 people are dead or missing as a result of the disaster, and an estimated one million people lost their homes. Eighty percent of the fishing industry in Sri Lanka was destroyed by the tsunami, affecting 530,000 people.  The International Labour Organization estimates that at least 400,000 people lost their jobs.

Partners

In Sri Lanka, ERD contributed to the overall relief and rehabilitation efforts of the Diocese of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon, which has approximately 25,000 members with 124 clergy and 30 lay leaders. ERD's support helped to establish a diocesan Relief and Rehabilitation Desk and five regional coordinating centers for long-term rehabilitation efforts in Jaffna, Amparai, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Galle, Hambantota and Matara. Computer and communications equipment was provided to facilitate communications and reporting.

Goals and Accomplishments:

• Provided food, shelter, medicines, rebuilding materials
• Provided 1,000 Zero-Fly brand temporary shelters and 200 family tents
• Engaged professional psychologists to conduct trauma counseling trainings for diocesan clergy and laity and provide individual counseling services to tsunami victims.
• Provided capacity building assistance for relief centers to upgrade computers, upgrade Internet capabilities, purchase software and purchase laptops for clergy in three affected areas, as well as equipped the Diocesan Relief and Rehabilitation office

Phase II – April-December 2005

Housing Reconstruction

ERD contributed toward the reconstruction of seventy-one new homes and the repair of 289 homes in Batticaloa and Arugam Bay.

Fishing Livelihood Recovery

ERD helped to establish three boat yards in Hambantota Valenchenai and Jaffna, including the purchase of two boat molds and training 20 fishermen to repair and build boats. More than 2,682 fisherman have received assistance ranging from new nets or motors to a complete new fiberglass boat.
 
Other Livelihood Recovery

The Diocese of Colombo provided more than 1,800 grants and loans to individuals and families to restart small businesses. Maximum grants were $750.  Replacement tools and equipment and some vocational training were provided to masons, carpenters, seamstresses and cooks.

Child Protection/Orphan Care

A comprehensive strategy was developed by the Diocese which included both short-term and long-term assistance. Fifty-five children received short-term housing and school fees so that they could successfully complete the school year in areas where schools are no longer accessible. Long-term funds were established for at least 90 orphans in order to guarantee their education, housing and health care until the age of 18, when they will receive a small trust. The government of Sri Lanka has placed all orphans with families, usually relatives, and has a national monitoring program to ensure their well being.  In addition, the clergy will monitor those children being sponsored by the diocese.

The Diocese provided 2000 school kits valued at $15/kit which were distributed in affected areas.  Kits included school supplies (pencils, paper, book bags), shoes and socks, and material for uniforms. In addition, as many as 15 schools became eligible to receive up to $2,500 to repair or replace damaged equipment. Two hundred and twenty-five children received school uniforms.

Five diocesan schools have established partnership relationships with damaged schools and students assisted with clean up and repair, as well as exchange visits and joint activities.

Health, Water and Sanitation

Water purification systems were provided for 17 temporary housing clusters in northern Sri Lanka.

Capacity Building

ERD contributed support for transportation, housing and hospitality costs for the Diocese of Colombo and their consultants and visitors. Funds were used for staff training to better manage and monitor tsunami recovery activities.

Other (Integrated Community Services)

• Community centers were established in three temporary camps to provide newspapers and magazines, tea, sewing machines and games, as well as a cool place to rest. More than 150 families are still being served by these hospitality sites.
• Dry rations were provided to 418 families in temporary housing.
• Two damaged Buddhist temple properties were repaired.
• The Diocese provided bicycles, which are the principal form of transport for the poor. When lost bicycles were replaced, fish and vegetable vendors were able to resume their work.
• The Diocese also responded to dozens of miscellaneous needs to make sure that people could maintain their dignity during the time of hardship. Such assistance ranged from purchase of electric fans for a school being used to house more than 30 families who were separated by sheets only, hiring a bus to take children from camps to school, providing lanterns and cooking materials, etc.

Advocacy

The Diocese of Colombo realized the necessity of programs to protect human rights, child rights and property rights in order to resume normal life after the tsunami. ERD support provided legal representation for the Diocese to the Diriya Foundation in order to help protect vulnerable children and orphans from abuse and sex trafficking, and will provide poor or minority groups with representation in land disputes.

Phase III – January 2006-December 2008

Housing Reconstruction

• 490 houses are being repaired in Batticaloa and Trincomalee.
• The Diocese completed 10 houses in Ambalantota in 2006. By mid-2007, 45 houses in Trincomalee and 20 houses in Tangalle are scheduled for release to their new owners.  30 houses planned for Jaffna are delayed due to the ongoing conflict in the northern region.
• The Diocese will underwrite the construction of housing communities, including all public spaces.

Fishing Livelihood Recovery

The Diocese purchased 25 boats for a fishing community in Amparai.  In 2006, operations of the three boatyards established in Phase II were transferred to the communities as  cooperative ventures.

Other Livelihood Recovery

• 325 families received vocational training in home gardening in Hikkadua and poultry farming in Amparai.
• The Diocese established three cement block-making workshops and one agricultural farm in the Batticaloa area as vocational training centers.

Child Protection/Orphan Care

Education fees and support are being administered for at least 90 children.  School packs were distributed to 1500 students.

Capacity Building

ERD will continue to provide funding for capacity building in the areas of communications, infrastructure, visitors/consultations and management.

Trauma Counseling and Psychosocial Care

A counseling program was established at a secondary school in the North whereby a trained counselor provides services to students, parents, teachers and members of the local community.

Health, Water and Sanitation

ERD helped to purchase basic medicines to stock supplies of clinics in affected areas. In addition, five ambulances were purchased for five damaged hospitals in the North, South and East.

Other (Integrated Community Services)

Community centers continued in three temporary camps, serving more than 150 families.

Advocacy

The Diocese continued its partnership with the Diriya Foundation and established a new partnership with Janawaboda Kendraya, a human rights organization which provides education workshops to select victim-representatives from tsunami camps.

Interfaith Collaboration

ERD is supporting the Diocese in its efforts to collaborate with other faith groups in tsunami rehabilitation, including Muslim and Buddhist organizations. Assistance includes financial and human assistance in repair work and consultations on the need to address issues of civil strife and insecurity due to the continuing conflict in Sri Lanka.