Long-term commitment of $100 million guaranteed

India tsunami relief

As a global charity working in all of the countries affected by the tsunami, World Vision as global agency has given a long-term commitment of $100 million. This money will be spent over the coming few years, not only to provide immediate aid and relief but to rebuild, rehabilitate and restore.

Targeted beneficiaries so far: approx 200,000
Monies committed so far (toward a US$2m budget): US$1.34 m

With procurement of relief material going forward at a very fast pace, the distributions in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam have moved into top gear. To ease the workload of the teams in the field some of the major items such as utensils are being procured centrally in Chennai while food items and clothes are purchased close to the project locations.

In Cuddalore, the relief teams reached 1,039 families with clothes, towels and blankets in the villages of Thalanguda, Puddukuppam and Sonangkuppam. The team in Nagapattinam, while continuing enumeration in various locations, managed to reach 2,275 families in the villages of Kallar, Thiruthuraipoondi, Vetharanyam and Tharangampadi. In addition to clothes, towels and blankets, the people were provided with cooked food, biscuits, bottled water, soaps, disinfectants, and tooth powder.

As most of the families are still based in camps, World Vision continues to provide them with food aid as well as non food items. Once the families start heading back to their homes, more food items will be provided to them. As part of a long-term assistance program, World Vision is looking at rebuilding houses of 2,000 families in Cuddalore.

World Vision Lanka is helping people across Sri Lanka who were affected by the events of December 26. In the first week, World Vision targeted 200,000 beneficiaries in twelve of the countries fifteen districts. US$1.2 million in aid deliveries made it to the field between December 27 and January 3. The majority of aid items, including food, clothing, hygiene products, sleeping mats, pillows and blankets were purchased locally. Additional aid is scheduled to arrive on several humanitarian airlifts in the coming days. Additional vehicles to deliver aid are to arrive at Colombo airport tomorrow as well as blankets for relief distribution.

Two other relief flights are scheduled to arrive on Thursday (Jan 6). The first, a 747cargo plane from the World Vision/WFP warehouse in Brindisi, Italy will bring 83 tonnes of blankets, sleeping mats, tarps, cook sets and soap. The second flight from Dubai loaded with 55 tonnes of equipment including gerry cans, tarps, blankets, and water filters is also due for arrival. The goods will be rapidly transported to areas in need within the next few days. Additional humanitarian flights are being arranged for next week.

Emergency Relief teams deployed in Ampara, Batticaloa, Killinochchi, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Gampaha, Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Trincomalee have distributed relief packs to 30,908 families - benefiting a total of 153,700 people in these districts. World Vision relief teams have directly distributed cooked food, dry rations, kitchen utensils, clothing, medicines and water to the displaced living in temporary shelters in the affected districts. Of the 15 affected districts, six are located in the North and East and consist of both government-controlled and LTTE-controlled areas. World Vision Lanka has an established presence in some of the LTTE-controlled areas and has already distributed aid there.

World Vision is a humanitarian relief and development organisation and has been engaged in humanitarian work in Sri Lanka since 1977.