SRI LANKA

The tsunami on 26/12/04 affected five out the nine provinces killing more then 35,000 people and left half a million others homeless in Sri Lanka. The economic impact was enormous.

Around $900 million worth of assets were destroyed, and the livelihoods of around 200,000 people were ruined. Nearly 24,000 acres of cultivated agricultural land were damaged by the salty water.

In its wake, the tsunami also left Sri Lanka's fishing industry in ruins. 75% of the total fishing fleet was wiped out, and nearly 100,000 people in the fishing industry lost their jobs overnight. In total, around 275,000 Sri Lankans lost their jobs following the disaster.

The tsunami also shattered health and education infrastructure. 86 medical facilities, 195 vocational training centres and university buildings were destroyed along with 59 schools.

Islamic Relief rapidly established offices in Ampara and Colombo and began work coordinating the emergency response in Nintavur. Focussing on the Ampara region, IR began distributing aid amongst the survivors during the Emergency Phase

Just two days after the disaster, IR aid workers were distributing food packs, hygiene kits and tinned Qurbani meat. The priority was to prevent malnutrition and the spread of disease.

A month after the disaster, IR staff began working on the rehabilitation of areas affected by the disaster. During this recovery phase, IR staff helped to rehabilitate Nintavur hospital, and set to work restoring homes, providing clean water supplies and supporting orphans and widows.

The reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas devastated by the tsunami is well underway. IR staff is currently working to provide survivors with long-term shelter. IR is restoring homes, providing clean water supplies, supporting orphans and widows and helping the poor re-establish their livelihoods.