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Sarvodaya Response to the National Calamity
Tsunami Hits 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 12,000 people are feared to have died, 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. According to the latest news
reports, there is now fear of another wave hitting Sri Lanka again
some time during December 27, due to aftershocks in Indonesia.
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, Northeastern 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.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS
Getting to the affected areas is still the biggest challenge. Getting
dead 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 December 26 around 11:30 a.m. 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 is 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.
Immediate Needs at Sarvodya collection Centres:
- Food, dried goods, especially powdered milk
- Clean drinking water
- First aid supplies and people to administer it at refugee shelters
- Medical supplies
- Getting accurate information to people to avoid rumours, making
sure that facts,
not guesswork guide the relief efforts
- Helping people to locate their missing loved ones
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
For Donors from Sri Lanka
Account Name Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya (Inc.)
Account No Acct. No 1590011920
Account Currency Rupees
Bank Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd.
Branch Moratuwa
Address No.116, Galle Road, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
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
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