Summary

Medair has successfully implemented an emergency relief programme in Ampara district, on the east coast of Sri Lanka, which focused on critical needs in the areas of; water & sanitation, temporary shelter, rebuilding livelihoods, health education and distribution of essential relief items. The overall cost of the project over 7 months was $2.9 million USD. Institutional funding for the project was provided by Chaîne de Bonheur.

What did the Medair team achieve in 7 months?

• 2,500 temporary shelters were constructed, of which 178 were fishing huts and 4 were ‘livelihood’ huts such as teashops
• 723 wells cleaned (pumped out and chlorinated) and 450 wells re-cleaned.
• 9 wells drilled with ‘jetting technology’, water tanks erected and pump systems attached.
• 100 new open wells built
• 128 new tube wells installed
• 200 well-posts and washing screens provided, appropriate for the Muslim community
• 375 wells repaired and upgraded with concrete aprons and drainage
• 1,102 latrines constructed in IDP camps and alongside temporary shelters.
• Distribution of essential relief items to 2,294 families including; 2,247 buckets, 2,161 jerry cans, 4,258 mosquito nets, 2,114 mats, 2,088 boxes of milk powder, 1,070 bars of soap, 77,580 sachets of water purification chemicals.
• 2,300 families chose a package of resettlement items from the Medair shop
• 16 canoe boats and 24 sets of fishing nets handed over to 16 different fishing cooperatives benefiting a total of 1,500 fishermen
• Health promotion programme set up alongside water & sanitation activities – reaching 12,000 people with 3 basic health messages agreed with Ministry of Health.