Started from the 17th of May, Sri Lanka has been experienced with heavy rain falls; thunder and monsoon especially in the eastern and central parts as the lower areas. In fact, Sri Lanka is prone to flooding.

The release from DMC on 21 May 2010 said “Mo re than 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed though out the affected areas of the island, with 24 deaths and 50 injuries, mostly in Gampala.  Other affected districts include Kalutara, Kegalle, Rathnapura, Kurunegala, Galle, Puttalam, Trincomalee, Matara, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya and Mannar” (Source: IRIN)

In response to an appeal by the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center to aid the flood victims in country, ADRA Sri Lanka is distributing the non food items for affected families in two District, Nuwara Eliya and Trincomalee to help them recover from the disaster.

ADRA Sri Lanka did the assessment and look on longer solution than food. Not to mention, but giving improper assistance on Food Items may even create more problematic to the children if the wrong milk is given during the rainy days and without boiling the water may give another cause, and this may give worse impacts to the affected families. After observing the real needs of the affected families, ADRA decided to assist through the Non Food Items and each pack contains of  Washing Soap, Bathing Soap, Towel, Bed Sheet, Sleeping Mat, Mosquito Net, Plastic Bucket, Sarung, T-Shirt, House skirt, Tooth Paste, Tooth Brush and this is the ‘unrealized needs’ of the affected people, this could be observed from the expression of the affected people and the local government officers during and after the distribution of the package to the affected people

 On behalf of the community, Mr. Illanseelan, the community leader expressed thanks to ADRA Sri Lanka, ADRA International and ADRA Asia Regional office.  The representatives from the government, the Grama Niladharies, and Samurthi Officers also satisfied with the intervention.  “ADRA is always come first to assist the poor.  Now they have brought non food items to the affected people.  This assistance will help the victims to resettle in their home.” (Mr. Anandaraj, Samurthi Officer)

ADRA has selected NFI considering that bedding materials and personal hygiene kits meet the most personal human needs when they return home, these kits will ensure that they are protected from the climate and the maintenance of health, privacy and dignity

Bedding has been considered necessary by the field teams since after the rainy season where mosquito breeding is very common, another thing is to give thermal protection since most of these families have been affected by the flooding, personal hygiene is to support each members of the family for their personal hygiene.

The average number of one family Sri Lanka included in Trincomalee and Nuwara Eliya is 3-4 persons, by assisting these 283 families ADRA in these two affected areas, ADRA has assisted 849 people if we take the minimum of 3 person per family.

The project is valued at $15.000, and is financed by ADRA International, ADRA Asia Regional Office and ADRA Sri Lanka.