Tsunami Situation Report: Weligama 2.4.2005

There was shock and panic during evacuation along the coastline, because of the Tsunami alert in the night of Monday, 28. to Tuesday 29. March 2005. 10 people died island-wide due to shock.

The water level rose by 24 cm, which is not unusual during this time just before monsoon season.

Weligama is divided into 86 Grama Seveka Divisions. 22 Grama Seveka Divisions are affected by Tsunami.

The Divisional Secretariat Weligama has just released the following updated figures:

469 bodies have been recovered so far.

The total numbers of affected houses are 2759 houses so far in the 22 Grama Seveka Divisions.

• 496 houses are fully damaged within the 100 m buffer zone.
• 194 houses are fully damaged out of the 100 m buffer zone.
• 269 houses are partly damaged within the 100 m buffer zone.
• 1023 houses are partly damaged out of the 100 m buffer zone.

A total of 910 houses are totally damaged and a total of 1849 houses are partly damaged in the affected areas of Weligama according to the latest statistics.

During a meeting with Divisional Secretary it was revealed that 4 organisations/companies have pledged to build some houses, but none of these organizations/companies have committed themselves in writing. Up to now not even one permanent house has been built in Weligama.

The Jayawickreme Foundation has committed itself to build as many houses as possible out of the 100 m buffer zone according to the funds available. At the moment we are waiting for donors to support our housing program. We are still trying hard to get government land too. A workforce of about 150-200 unemployed youth is available for our construction work.

We are allowed to build houses according to Government plans out of the 100 m buffer zone.

The families, who will be provided with new houses by the Jayawickreme Foundation, are selected by the Divisional Secretariat.

All 15 damaged Montessoris (Kindergarten) are being repaired by various organizations and tourists.

Families, who will receive fishing boats from the Jayawickreme Foundation, are selected by the Fisheries Society and the Divisional Secretary.

We are still distributing relief aid i.e. dry food and new clothing to many families in various villages by the sea, who do not have any source of income yet and do not get sufficient help by the Government. Many school children are still receiving stationary and school bags from us.

Our small entrepreneur rescue project is successful. Upto now we have given financial assistance to four small-scale business people, who lost their businesses due to Tsunami. More will be helped.

It is important to note that the Government of Sri Lanka does not register any more NGOs, Charities and Societies, which have applied for approval after the 1. January 2005, because of wide spread frauds and corruption indulged in by some NGOs, Charities and private people.

In the meantime there is wide spread uneasiness, anxiety and deep disappointment expressed by all those displaced people living in tents and semi permanent houses, who have not got houses up to now as they do not know how to celebrate the traditional Sinhalese/Tamil New Year on the 13./14. of April. The Sinhalese/Tamil New Year is a much-awaited annual festival amongst the poorest of the poor.

Weligama 16.3.2005

Almost 3 months after Tsunami hit Weligama badly, there is no end of the misery and suffering of the affected families, to be seen.

Cramped in small, dark, humid tents people are suffering day and night. Others are waiting to get new houses in so-called semi permanent houses made out of wood.

Toilet facilities are unhygienic, awful and much too less to say the least.

During day-time temperatures are climbing up to more than 30 degrees, humidity is around 90%.

Rain and thundershowers have started to worsen the already horrendous conditions these families are living in, as rainwater seeps into tents and semi-permanent structures.

Drinking-water is a daily necessity, but at many places it is not available at all.

Diseases are predictable.

Countless traumatized children are in urgent need of professional help.

People who have chosen to live in their damaged houses complain that they do not get any weekly food coupons and cash promised by the government. Some people living in tents and semi permanent structures complain that they get the promised coupons and cash once in a way, others living in tents and semi-permanent structures complain that they do not get any promised government support all. Nobody knows why.

Bureaucracy and politicization make it difficult, if not impossible, for the affected people to cope with their terrible fate. 

Many males are drinking out of despair and sudden poverty, as they cannot cope with it. Women are desperately fighting for the survival of their families.

Government land promised to us as early as January was not released, as there is hardly government land available in Weligama.

However we have got the “green light” by the Government and relevant authorities to go ahead with the rebuilding of destroyed houses out of the 100 m buffer zone. These houses will be built on the foundations of those houses, which were destroyed. We will start as soon as we have the adequate funds to build as many houses as possible for the affected families, so that they have a proper roof over their heads before monsoon starts in May. It is understandable that we will continue building during monsoon season as well.

The Jayawickreme Foundation has already started talks with the relevant authorities, so that the process of selecting families, whose houses have been destroyed out of the 100m buffer zone, could begin at its earliest.

The Jayawickreme Foundation is still distributing relief aid like dry rations, new clothing, school bags and stationary requirements etc., as there is still a huge demand. Most of the affected people are without income since 26. December 2004.

The project of the Jayawickreme Foundation to finance small entrepreneurs to rejuvenate their Tsunami destroyed businesses is very successful and will be continued.

Weligama, 19.02.2005

9 weeks after Tsunami.

In Weligama there are no camps in schools and temples anymore. The affected people are living in tents, semi permanent structures and stay with relatives till they are provided with new housing.

We need funds to provide fishermen with fishing boats so that they can go back to sea to have an income. Because in most boats there are 3-4 fishermen employed and they are the breadwinners of their respective families.

As we depend on Government owned land to build houses for the Tsunami victims we have to wait until available land is allocated to the Jayawickreme Foundation. We are constantly checking on this and pursuing the matter. No sooner the land is allocated to us by the Government the Jayawickreme Foundation hopes to start building houses depending on donations, as we are solely dependent on donors for financing.

In Weligama there is almost no Government land available close to sea. The Government is trying to acquire necessary lands. Therefore it will take some time until lands are distributed for building new homes for the affected people.

The Government has released plans for the construction of houses. Donors have to meet these government standards if they want to build houses for the Tsunami victims, whether it is on Government or private land.

The Jayawickreme Foundation is adamant to construct houses for the Tsunami victims no sooner the lands are allocated to us.

Tsunami Situation Report: Weligama, 07.02.2005

Six weeks after Tsunami devastated about15% of Weligama and made more than 20000 people homeless the situation has somewhat calmed down.

The camps are thinning out by the day. People prefer to stay in tents on the foundation of their ruined houses or to find temporary shelter with relatives. Others stay in newly put up tent camps and semi permanent houses.

Children go back to school. As the damaged school buildings are not reconstructed yet, the pupils attached to those schools attend other schools or schools close to their present temporary shelter.

The Jayawickreme Foundation is still providing dry rations as the affected people do not have any income since 26.12.2004.

Dry rations contain e.g. rice, milk powder, sugar, flour, lentils, soap, laundry soap, toot brushes, tooth creme, candles, matches, sanitary towels etc.
For schools children and pre school kids we provide exercise books, pencils, ball points, crayons, erasers, pencil cuter, ruler, instrument boxes, toys, etc.

From time to time we donate new clothing and undergarments to men, women and children.

Moreover, we have started to assist small entrepreneurs, who have lost their business due to Tsunami, to restart their business. We provide financial aide to rebuild and buy machinery e.g.: lace shops, electrical repair shops, sewing machines, coir rope making machines, bicycle repair shops, carpenter shops, fishing boats.

People will have income again, jobs can be provided and the affected people become independent again by earning their own salary.

We will start to build houses for the Tsunami victims soon. When the construction work of these houses is finished, people will need further aid to furnish their houses, to buy kitchen utensils etc., because the Tsunami affected people don’t have enough money to buy the essentials to start a new life.

Going deep into the subject school partnerships between local and foreign schools the Jayawickreme Foundation will not any longer attend to this matter, because of serious communication problems. Students and teachers in rural local schools do not speak English and write mostly in Sinhalese letters. The schools are very poorly equipped and do not have computers or any other modern facilities which could match their counterparts in most other countries. The pupils in rural areas are so poor that it might be impossible to match up to the very advanced foreign students of their age. Therefore communication will be very difficult between rural local and foreign schools. The Jayawickreme Foundation cannot act as a mediator.

The people specially the children are slowly realizing what really happened on the 26th of December 2004. Although it is difficult for the traumatized children specially the age group between 5 and 15 years to cope up with what really happened. More counseling is necessary.

We give priority to build houses for the Tsunami victims. At the same time we would like to have a parallel program to continue with our original housing program in the rural areas where there is extreme poverty. This way we can avoid any misunderstandings between the fishing communities and the village communities.

Tsunami Situation Report: Weligama 20.01.2005

Weligama is a costal town in the South of Sri Lanka. The Weligama area comprises of a coastal belt and a country side. Weligama has about 175,000 inhabitants.

The Divisional Secretariat Weligama has released the following updated figures on the 20.1.2005:

958 houses are totally damaged and cannot be repaired.

1266 houses are damaged, but can be repaired.

12 (twelve) orphans below 18 years are registered so far.

51 children have lost their fathers so far and live now with their mothers.

19 children have lost their mothers so far and live now with their fathers.

Out of the 417 dead bodies recovered so far 51 are children under 18 years.

In Weligama refugee camps are thinning out as homeless people are starting to resettle in their damaged houses, which can be repaired. Others are trying to find temporary shelter at relatives’ places. Accommodation in big tents and temples is also provided until new homes are built for them.

Now schools are vacated step by step to ensure a smooth start of the new school term, which was postponed in the affected areas from the 10th to the 25th of January.

In the meantime it has emerged that much more new houses are needed than originally thought of as there were more than one families living in the fishermen houses cramped under one roof. But only the house owner was listed as having lost his house.

According to a Government survey conducted shortly before Tsunami stuck Weligama badly there were at least 2 to 3 families living in fishermen houses in the affected villages. Girls in these highly illiterate communities are getting married at an average age of 15 years and remain with their new families in their parents’ houses. Because of the existing illiteracy birth control does not take place in most of the cases and therefore these young married girls give birth regularly.

Therefore the Jayawickreme Foundation proposes to build houses for these young fishermen families as well and to conduct seminars on birth control.

Tsunami Situation Report: 11.01.2005

The South coast of Sri Lanka was badly hit by the Tsunami waves on the 26th of December 2004.

The fatal Tsunami wave has destroyed roughly 15% of the entire Weligama electorate.

417 bodies have been found up to now.
18 persons are still missing.

The Jayawickreme Foundation is actively involved in looking after 6 camps with about 2,200 refugees.

4485 families are directly affected.

1581 houses have been damaged:

647 houses are totally destroyed and cannot be rebuilt.
934 houses can be repaired.

1 school is totally destroyed and cannot be rebuilt.
7 schools can be repaired.

Weligama is a costal town in the South of Sri Lanka. The Weligama area comprises of about 175000 inhabitants.
Weligama is divided in 86 Grama Seveka Divisions. Persons of 22 Grama Seveka Divisions are affected.

Frequent heavy rainfalls are worsening the situation of the refugees.

Before Tsunami there was an unemployment rate of about 80% existing in Weligama.

The main income sources are agriculture, fishing and tourism (in this order).

Poverty is very noticeable in Weligama.

General info: The coastal area destroyed so far is about 10% of the whole of Sri Lanka – about 90% are not affected and fully functioning.

Track Record from 26.12.2004

On the 26th of December 2004, the day the Tsunami wave hit Sri Lanka badly, we helped the foreign survivours in the hospital at Tissamaharama, in the Deep South of Sri Lanka, to get in touch with their respective Embassies through the German Embassy in Colombo. These foreigners were totally stranded and helpless as they could not communicate in the local language.

On our return to Weligama on the 27th morning the Jayawickreme Foundation visited the refugee camps already set up and saw the condition of the refugees and their immediate requirements. We were told by the Ministry of Essential Services that the Jayawickreme Foundation should get actively involved to look after six (6) camps with about 2200 refugees out of 16 camps with more than 20000 refugees in Weligama, which were later thinned out to 26 camps.

The Jayawickreme Foundation organized the smooth distribution of clothing, underwear and footwear for women, children and men; other necessities like milk powder, biscuits, cereals, dry food, cooking utensils, soap, tooth creme, tooth brushes, towels, sanitary ware and children requirements like feeding bottles, toys, school material, pencils for about 2200 refugees in the six camps. Part of these requirements were donated by well wishers and donors. The balance requirements were purchased and donated by the Jayawickreme Foundation. The Jayawickreme Foundation supplies these camps as and when any items are required. The requirements change from day to day.

Medical items received by the Jayawickreme Foundation from well wishers and donors were donated to the Walana Hospital in Weligama.