Disaster Relief
Severe flooding brought on by monsoon rains across southwestern portions of Sri Lanka has resulted in the deaths of at least 224 people, according to the country’s Ministry of Disaster Management. More than 78 people are reported still missing.
The Church of God in Sri Lanka responded to the immense need by immediately supplying water, bed mats, and mosquito nets from reserved benevolence funds. More than 7,000 families are displaced from their homes and are living in temporary housing. This means that these families are totally dependent on outside resources for survival. They cannot work. They have no homes to return to. Everything they own was washed away. In Talgaswala tea estate areas, for example, many Church of God Believers cannot go to the estate to pluck tea for their day-to-day earnings because the tea factories are covered with water.
This is a huge crisis that cannot be solved by money alone. People will need help restoring their lives. The Church of God is working with pastors to develop situation reports and long-term response to what is a life-changing event for many..
Church of God Project Coordinator Simon Benedict, reports that additional immediate resources are needed to supply dislocated families with
women’s and men’s clothes,
sanitary items,
water,
dry rations,
medicine,
mosquito nets
bed mats,
candles and matches
The Church of God in Sri Lanka wants to help meet some of the immediate physical needs, but also help with long-term recovery. To that end, the Church of God in Sri Lanka is hoping to raise $10,000 in disaster relief for immediate and ongoing aid following the most devastating flood since 2003.
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