MUSLIM WOMEN’S RESEARCH AND ACTION FORUM – Immediate Relief for Flood Victims in the Eastern Province

73/19 E, KIRULAPONE AVENUE, COLOMBO 5, SRI LANKA. TEL/FAX: 94 -11 4405902 TEL: 94-11 2512846

 

18^th January 2011

 Immediate Relief for Flood Victims in the Eastern Province

 

We write to you in the hope that you will be able to assist us to relieve the people in Ampara and Batticaloa who are undergoing immense suffering due to heavy flooding.  Most of them have been evacuated and put up in schools and other shelters.  Water has risen to great  heights in some areas. The flood waters are receding in some areas and some of the water is still stagnant which gives rise to health problems. Some roads are still impassable with the large volume of water which is steadily raising due to  the  sluice gates of all the main tanks specially that of the Unnichchai and Rugam tanks and other minor irrigation tanks in the Batticaloa District and the Hydro Power feeding Senanayake Samurdra in Inginiyagala  have been opened. There are health hazards due to water logging and contaminated water.  Toilet pits are full and overflowing  and mosquitoes are breeding fast.

MWRAF through its women centres and inter-intra faith groups in the East  has been distributing dry rations in a small way to the families living in an around our three women’s centres.  Most the persons are daily paid wage earners and have to be provided with food till such time as things get back to normal and they can get back to work which may take some time as the immediate needs are greater- damages and losses to their movable and immovable property is yet to be assessed.

An organization of children “Human Link” with special needs is associated with MWRAF and also would need items such as diapers, adult pampers, dettol clothes etc.

We attach herewith the following:

1.     Brochure – Outlining the past and present activities of MWRAF.

2.     Bereft women – A booklet which gives the details ,of marginalized women who were supported by MWRAF who had achieved self sufficiency but today due to floods have been once again been reduced to nothing.

A blue print for disaster alleviation – Started operations by getting the MWRAF network in the East to buy all the basic items from the stores an MWRAF sent in the money collected from friends, individuals and organizations

1.     Immediate Needs –  Milk food for children, Dry rations – Tea Sugar Powdered Milk, bottled water, mats, ,mosquito coils, sanitary requirements, pampers for adults (invalids and children, toiletries, medical supply, mosquito nets.

2.     Mid Term Plans – seed capital to recommence livelihood, equipment etc.

3.     Long term plans   Reconstruction of houses and buildings.

The plan of activity will no doubt reveal the enormity of the problem we face, but we would truly appreciate if you could kindly contribute whatever you can to alleviate the suffering of these people.

We give below our bank details –

 

Name of Bank                          Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation

Address                                               24, Sir Baron Jayatillake Mawatha, Colombvo 1

Branch                                                 Main Branch, Colombo 1

Account No                                         001-231026-001

Swift code                                           HSBCLKLX

 

Looking forward to a favourable reply,

 

 

Jezima Ismail

Founder Co-ordinator