Sarvodaya response to the national calamity: Tsunami hits Sri Lanka
The Buddhist Channel, Dec 31, 2004

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka was hit by a massive tsunami on
December 26 around 8 am, caused by an earthquake in Indonesia (9.0
magnitude on the Richter scale).
More than 22,000 people are feared to have died (as of 12/29/04), but
the estimates could go even higher as updates come in. More than 1
million are displaced or homeless. This is the biggest natural
disaster to hit Sri Lanka in recent history. This particular wave came
up slowly, rising sixteen times during the day, causing most of the
destruction as it receded back into the ocean.

Sri Lanka had a three-day holiday weekend and many people had been
visiting relatives or had taken a trip to the beach. It is therefore
even more challenging to determine the full impact of the tsunami,
since thousands of people are missing, unaccounted for or far from
home. December being peak tourist season for Sri Lanka an unknown
number of foreign tourists have been affected.

Communication is presently difficult to impossible. Getting an
accurate assessment of the devastation’s extent is difficult. Phone
landlines and mobile phone connections are virtually non-existent in
many parts of the country and the electricity supply has been cut off.
Even police and rescue teams cannot reach many affected areas. Rumours
are spreading and misinformation is becoming rampant.

A call to action

¨ Donations, financial and in kind, are needed for most pressing
immediate relief efforts.
¨ Thousands of people have lost their jobs or will lose their jobs as,
for example, many tourists might leave the island in the next few days
and weeks.
¨ Mobilizing counselors: Psychological trauma counseling needs will
arise in the near future as people are trying to cope with life after
the initial shock.
¨ Long-term rebuilding of vital infrastructure: sanitation, water,
electricity and public services have been wiped out and need to be
rebuilt. This requires a long-term financial commitment beyond the
initial clean-up and first response effort.
¨ Please check the webpage www.sarvodaya.lk on how to donate.

Destruction in The Coastal areas

Sri Lanka’s coastal areas were the hardest hit. The most affected are
the poorest of the poor who live very close to the beach, often
sandwiched in-between the sand and the train tracks or road. The
proximity to the waterline and the vulnerability of their wooden huts
left thousands of people dead and 1 million homeless without access to
even the most basic necessities. Although exact numbers are not
available yet, women and children are bearing the brunt of the
disaster.

The Eastern, North-eastern and Southern side of the island were the
most affected, especially the populated area around the city of
Jaffna. Many areas on the Eastern Coast are very remote and
inaccessible and information is scarce. The cities of Matara,
Hambantota and Galle on the Western side were very heavily affected as
well. Coastal roads and train lines have been destroyed and it is
currently virtually impossible to physically reach the most affected
areas. The road to Galle has been closed some 80km south of Colombo.

The IMMEDIATE NEEDS

Getting to the affected areas is still the biggest challenge.
Collecting bodies and cremating or burying them is crucial to avoid
further health problems.

Sarvodaya’s response:

Sarvodaya’s reputation makes them the prime partner for foreign aid
and donor agencies to disperse relief funds and makes Sarvodaya an
important partner in the current disaster response efforts.

As soon as the news of the disaster reached the Sarvodaya headquarters
on Sunday morning December 26, the special disaster management unit
began to receive reports from the Sarvodaya district offices in the
affected areas.

For many years Sarvodaya has experience responding to natural
disasters like floods, droughts and landslides. Sarvodaya has the
infrastructure to deal with disasters of this nature although nothing
of this magnitude has been seen in Sri Lanka before. With its unique
structure of 35 district coordinators and 360 divisional coordinators
it is very well connected to the grass roots. Sarvodaya’s reputation
in the community makes them a trusted partner in its outreach
activities.

In addition Sarvodaya can draw on and mobilize over 100,000 volunteers
from Shanti Shena, the “peace brigade”. Shanti Shena has trained young
people between 18 to 30 years of age to deliver first aid to villages
and organize the “village to village heart to heart” peace dialogue.

WHAT HAS been done so far:

Dr. Ariyaratne and other officials met in the afternoon of December 26
and decided to establish two disaster relief centres in the Colombo
area. One is at the Sarvodaya Nagarodaya Centre and the other is in
Moratuwa at Sarvodaya headquarters.

Sarvodaya field offices provide vital feedback about the scope of the
disaster and the immediate needs in their community. Relief and first
response efforts are coordinated here around the clock, having started
around 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 26.

· A team of senior Sarvodaya staff and volunteers have been sent
to affected districts, such as Matara, Galle, Hambantota, Batticloa
immediately. Their role is to provide assistance to the district
coordinators as they respond to their communities’ most basic needs.
The necessary instructions have been given to make sure the district
offices are empowered to do what is needed.

· District Linking Plan: An immediate, concrete action plan based
on each communities particular needs has been implemented, including
the removing of dead bodies or assisting in health posts and
hospitals.

· Collecting donations: Sarvodaya is collecting clothes, food,
and other goods. Community support keeps coming in at all times from
the larger Colombo urban area. Medical supplies are collected and sent
to places where they are most needed.

· The business community and professional associations, like the
medical community, are also stepping up to the challenge and have
offered direct help through the Sarvodaya network structure.

· Larger national and international relief organizations are in
the process of finalizing their arrangements for support through
Sarvodaya.

· Medical emergency help: Immediate response teams have been sent
to the affected districts by car where it is safe to drive.

· Medical students and first aid volunteers are providing
immediate relief at emergency shelters in the Moratuwa area.

· 50 medical doctors have joined the effort organized from here.

· In Moratuwa alone there are some 3000 people reported to be
displaced and have sought shelter in temples and churches. They have
been provided with immediate food, relief and water as much as
possible.

· There are hundreds of Sarvodaya villages in each district
directly affected by the tsunami. They expect some form of direct,
fast and immediate assistance from Sarvodaya in the time of need.
Sarvodaya villages not directly affected want to help those in other
Sarvodaya villages as well as neighbouring communities not a part of
Sarvodaya.

Financial Assistance
For Foreign remittance
Account Name Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya (Inc.)
Account No Acct. No 159000 8015
Account Currency US Dollars
Bank Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd.
Branch Moratuwa
Address No.116, Galle Road, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
SWIFT CCEY.LK.LX

Contact Us
Sarvodaya HQ
No98, Rawatawatta Road,
Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Phone +9411 2655 255
+9411 2655 110
Fax +9411 2656 512
Web: http://www.sarvodaya.lk/

Look for the following to make a donation. [There seem to be some bad
links in the web site, so look for this on their web site or use the
link provided here:]

People who wish make money donations online can do their donations by
using MasterCard please click here (VISA card payments will be
activated only after 9:00am (Sri Lanka Time) 30-December)