On 26th December 2004, Sri Lanka was struck by one of the worst natural disasters of the century. An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean created a powerful tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people, and destroyed houses and infrastructure. Many of those who survived found that they lost their means of livelihood.
Islamic Relief in Sri Lanka
Islamic Relief began its operation in Sri Lanka in response to the Tsunami disaster, focusing on Ampara, one of Sri Lanka’s worst affected districts, providing emergency food aid to survivors. A few weeks later, Islamic Relief engineers were building temporary shelters, digging wells and building latrines to meet the housing, water and sanitation needs of the population.
Following the emergency phase, the focus switched to long term sustainable rehabilitation, through the building of permanent homes in Kalmunai Tamil and helping people recover their livelihoods.
In 2006 a one-to-one orphan sponsorship program was launched to support the many children that became orphans due to the Tsunami.