20,000 houses for tsunami homeless

Caritas Sri Lanka-SEDEC will complete the construction of 20,000 new houses to be given to those who lost their houses a year ago due to tsunami.

Executive Director Caritas Sri Lanka-SEDEC, Rev. Fr. Damian Fernando told a media conference at the BMICH that SEDEC the Social Arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Sri Lanka has undertaken the responsibility of building 20,000 new houses in the country to be given to those who lost their houses, but could complete only 700 houses so far due to reasons beyond their control.

The media conference was held to announce the program organised by the Caritas Sri Lanka-SEDEC to mark the First Year of Tsunami Disaster of December 26, 2004. He told the media that Sri Lanka has received Rs.16 billion to provide shelter, to look after the health and supply food for the needy. These monies come from the Caritas Internationalis,COR UNUM and other Church based charity organisations and other international agencies.

According to statistics available over 90,000 families have been directly affected by the disaster and around 79,000 houses either destroyed completely or partly damaged.

Fr. Damian said the delay in completion of the building of houses was mainly due to the unavailability of suitable land to construct houses in the respective districts and said that issue had now been resolved with the government providing land necessary.

The SEDEC Director said that they were honoured and awarded by the former President for building 6,530 transitionary houses for the tsunami affected families on record time as an immediate measure and they have provided assistance to 17,000 school children in the disaster-hit areas to continue with their schooling.

His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Kingsly Swamipillai, the Bishop of Batticoloa-Trincomalee said that his people were living disaster-prone areas close to the sea and pointed out the need to construct houses that could withstand any disaster. He commended the decision of the government to relax the 200 meter buffer zone which was partly responsible in delaying the construction of houses. "The fishermen wish to live close to the seas and that is a justifiable demand as they are fishermen and they cannot go away from the sea despite danger to their lives", the Bishop said.

Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Antony Perera, the Bishop of Galle said the tsunami was a disaster the country experienced, it was an occasion for all to come together to help those who were affected by the calamity. "It was a moment of truth. It was an occasion we shared our common brotherhood putting aside all man made differences. We are accused of trying to convert by helping those affected.

Despite this unfounded allegation levelled against the Catholics of this country, we helped the Buddhists, they were the majority affected by the disaster as we share the common brotherhood san all ethnic or religious differences. What we do is show our love, charity and affection to all affected ".