IMMEDIATE RELIEF –
SARVODAYA IS THINKING AHEAD ABOUT RECONSTRUCTION

While immediate relief with food, temporary shelter and basic health needs are the national priority for the next few days, Sarvodaya is thinking about a medium and long-term plan now.

WHAT IS DONE IMMEDIATELY

• Assisting the authorities in making sure the dead are properly buried or cremated and the necessary steps are taken to prevent the spread of diseases and possible epidemics is crucial at this point in time.
• Currently displaced people have found temporary shelters mostly in temples, churches or schools all over the island. Getting food and medicines to them is vital.
• The scope of the devastation is not clear yet. We are assisting the joint UN-assessments carried out by OCHA. An assessment of the situation might be possible within a few days, when the advanced teams and the district coordinators had a chance to report back.
• The authorities are opening roads to make relief efforts reach the areas most affected.

THINKING AHEAD

A plan for reconstruction of the devastated villages has to be implemented now, to get villagers back on their feet and out of the refugee camps. Only an integrated concept of immediate emergency relief combined with a long-term strategy of reconstruction can be successful in the long run. The primary role in developing a master plan will need be played by the government (Sarvodaya will assist). Sarvodaya will start working in its own villages, which have been devastated. This strategy empowers villagers to have hope for the future and move away from handouts to self-sufficiency once again. Sarvodaya is currently exploring low cost options for reconstruction, so building materials can be purchased and delivered as soon as the situation allows. Working within the established channels of the Sarvodaya structure makes it possible to deliver goods and services directly to where there are most needed within a few days. Working directly with Sarvodaya societies on their concrete individual needs bypasses lengthy paper work or administrative processes often encountered in such disaster situations. Sarvodaya could become a model case for fast relief delivery.

WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN:

• Getting people out of shelter or refugee camps and back to their home environment is a top priority.
• Sarvodaya is looking for permanent for state of the art sturdy tents that can be places in the villages themselves. As temporary shelters they have to be sturdy enough to withstand the elements and have to be used for the weeks or months to come.
• Sarvodaya does currently not have tents or similar structures available yet and we are looking for concrete financial and logistical support to secure them as soon as possible.
• Sarvodaya needs more computer, printers and printing materials to coordinate its activities.
  

LOOKING FOR BUILDING SUPPLIES

Some crucial materials are already in short supply or running out in Sri Lanka. Based on some past foreign offers to sent materials by sea Sarvodaya is currently looking for:

• Roofing material: Plastic roofing sheet or tin sheets (corrugated iron)
• Sturdy plastic sheeting or tarps to protect from the rain
• Cement
• Masks and gloves
• Rubber boots
• Disinfectants

For Foreign Remittance

For web donations www.sarvodaya.lk > www.sarvodaya.org
Remittances through local Bank Transfers
Account Name: Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya (Inc.)
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 11 Mobile +94 785 107 107 Fax +9411 2656 512


may there be peace on earth