Situation Update

District Governor Nalin Fernando had been in Vavuniya for the last 4 days having discussions with the neccessary authorities to formalize the relief efforts of the Rotary District 3220, Sri Lanka. With the arrival of the Shelter Boxes, the authorities have demarcated a specific area in Zone III to set up the Shelter Box Tents. This area would eventually be developed in to a model facility and in all likelyhood the next batch of Shelter Boxes will also be deployed at the same location.

The facility will provide accomodation for approximately 500+ families (2500+ people ) and it is expected the families with pregnant mothers, children will form the majority of this group. The District has decided to concentrate our efforts with regard to Healthcare, Water & Sanitation , Food , Children's Toys etc at this facility as a starting point so that we can better coordinate and quantify the efforts.

In addition, the Rotarians in District 3220, Sri Lanka are working on several initiatives to help the IDP's in providing Wheelchairs, Artificial Limbs, Vocational Training etc.

Immediate Role of RCCR

The primary role of our club at this facility demarcated for Rotary Shelter Boxes will be to provide water & sanitation facilities.

There is an adequate supply of water at the moment. However, the need for Toilets is extremely urgent. Other than providing a basic human need a proper toilet will prevent the spread of disease at these camps.

The initial requirement is to build 50 Toilets , based on the design listed below. The approximate cost of a toilet is US$ 150.

We solicit your urgent assistance to fund one or more toilets. All donations in cash or kind will receive an official acknowledgement from the Club.

Lanka Hydraulics donates medicine to RCCR

Lanka Hydraulics has donated medicine worth LKR 52,000 to the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency to be used for the relief efforts being conducted by Rotary for the IDP’s in the North.

RCCR will be handing over stock of medicine to Rotary Club of Capital City who is spearheading the conduct of Health Camps for the IDP’s arriving in the North subsequent to their first Health Camp conducted at Menik Farm earlier.

Donation by Akbar Pharmaceuticals

Akbar Pharmaceuticals donated 20,000 tables of Paracetamol and 100 sachets of Rehydration salt packs to RCCR to be used for the relief efforts being conducted by Rotary for the IDP’s in the North.

RCCR will be handing over stock of medicine to Rotary Club of Capital City who is spearheading the conduct of Health Camps for the IDP’s arriving in the North subsequent to their first Health Camp conducted at Menik Farm earlier.

Akbar Pharmaceuticals has also provided us a facility to obtain medicine at a discounted price for our relief efforts.

District 3220 formulates Rotary Response

The officials of the District 3220 met twice last week to formulate a coordinated response from the Rotary District 3220 for the ongoing relief efforts being provided to the IDP’s in the North. An Apex committee headed by PDG Thariq Thulba has been established to coordinate the efforts of the individual clubs so that duplication of efforts can be avoided and our efforts can be directed where they are in dire need.

At this initial state several clubs have come forward to spearhead relief initiatives in different areas. For the time being, the following clubs will be taking the lead in their respective areas as outlined below so that all clubs can channel their efforts through the designated clubs.

Medicine & Health Camps - Rotary Club of Capital City

Water & Sanitation - Rotary Club of Colombo Regency

Education & Children’s Toys - Rotary Club of Colombo

Food (Dry Rations ) & Cooking Utensils - (To be confirmed)

Vocational Training & Prov. Of Basic Tools - (To be confirmed)

Logistics & Transportation - PDG Lucky Peiris

Sample of Temporary Toilets

A sample Structure of a Temporary Toilet was constructed (Squatting Pan not included yet) so as to get an idea for potential donors.

We have requested for more ventilation points to be included at the top section of the units.

The sample unit can be examined at:

Dwellings
#52, Green Path
Colombo 03
Sri Lanka

(Please inquire from Security Guard)

Temporary Toilets for IDP's

RCCR is now looking at sourcing and supplying a minimum of 100 temporary toilets to be used at the IDP camps.

Each temporary toilet is costing aproximately USD 150/-

The total number of IDP's as of now is over 150,000. Your assistance to make this project a success is much appreciated.

We're on Facebook!

We have created a group on Facebook for those of you who would like to join and show us your support.

Relief for sri Lanka - The link is on the right hand column on this page.

Online Donations to the IDP's

based on the numerous requests by donors, overseas partners and friends of Rotary, we have once again setup a method for foods and medicines to be purchased via credit card.

http://www.lankafood.com/c-776-idp-donations.aspx?pagenum=1

The above link will direct you to Lanka Foods, who have partnered with RCCR previously during the Tsunami.

Please feel confident to purchse items which you deem necessary to assist the IDP's in Sri Lanka. Lanka Foods will thereafter contact RCCR and handover the items to us to send to the IDP's.

More civilians keep walking in...

According to information currently received: Over 180,ooo civilians have crossed over to Govt held areas since the wanni ops started.

Most people are in camps in the Vavuniya region.

RCCR Contributes Medicines for Medical Camp

Rotary Club of Capital City is conducting a medical camp in Vavuniya currently. This will run from 29th Apr to 1st May.

RC Regency handed over medicines valued at Rs.75,000/- (USD625/-) to Rtn Supem of RC Capital City on 28th evening. Other than medicines there was a truck load of other relief items going with them.

RCCR Hands over Medicines to ACT

RCCR hands over the medicines to ACT to be sent to Padaviya Hospital.


ACT Representative Gayani (Left), Rtn. Gehan (Center) & Emar Pharma Representative (Right)

IDP Receiving Hospitals - Situation Report by ACT

Action & Care Trust (ACT), who our club is working with on emergency relief for IDP’s, have been visiting some of the receiving hospitals. The situation assessment done by their team is as follows:

Vavuniya Hospital
Act representatives visited Vavuniya Hospital on 4th April 2009, accompanying the 1st donation of aid by our Trust. The hospital had a capacity to treat 300 patients, which it has currently expanded to 430 patients. However, warded patients are now at 1,200. In addition, there are accompanying family members plus those with minor/healing injuries, who are prohibited from leaving (and have nowhere to go). As such, the number of Survivors presently residing in Vavuniya Hospital, are approximately 3000 in number.

It is a well run hospital, under the care of Dr. Bavani Pasupathyrajah (Medical Director, Vavuniya Hospital). The sheer number of patients is the major problem they are facing. Of these, a very large number were children under the age of 5. There were a lot of babies and breast feeding mothers, newborns and toddlers with injuries.

Based on the data collected and upon request from the doctors in Vavuniya, Phase 1 Part 2 will include another delivery of relief items to Vavuniya.


Padaviya Hospital
Emergency treatment is provided as civilians come off the boats in Pulmodai. Patients with a good chance of survival are dispatched to Padaviya Hospital.

Our Trust Chairman Professor A.H Sheriffdeen travelled to Padaviya Hospital on 19th April 2009, to assess the medical situation. He confirms that treatment facilities are overcrowded and Padaviya Hospital is over capacity (despite an expansion into a donated garment factory). Human resources are limited (doctors, junior doctors, nurses, orderlies) and as such, need to be expanded.

As expected, there were a large numbers of babies and children under 5. Total number of patients is around 1,500.

Pulmodai Field Hospital
Very little data is presently available to ACT. Reports range from the existence of a fully equipped hospital, to quick “on-the spot” emergency treatment facilities after which, patients are transferred to Vavuniya or Padaviya. We will be researching how to help Pulmodai Field Hospital shortly.

Stockholm International Rotary Club helps appeal on behalf of RCCR

The Stockholm International Rotary Club is a young, vibrant member of the Rotary International family. Started in May 2003, the club is located in Stockholm, Sweden's capital city, and is the only Rotary club in Stockholm that conducts meetings in English.

We were pleasantly surprised to see President Nick Thompson; who we had the pleasure of working with during the 2004 Tsunami adding an appeal on behalf of our Clubs efforts to help the IDP's.

http://sirc-webspace.spaces.live.com/

Thank you President Nick Thompson

- RCCR

Rotary Medical Camp to be held in Vavuniya

Rotary Club of Capital City is coordinating a medical camp to be held in Vavuniya from Wed 29th Apr to Friday 1st May 2009.

The medical team is headed by Consultant Dr. Ajith Malalasekera and consists of 10 other doctors.

The camp will be conducted at the "Menik Farm Zone 1" where there a few thousand persons - They have made an appeal for medicines.

Please see the list below for a 1,000 people. We need supplies for at least 10,000 persons. The Menik Farm Zone 1 to 3 has more than 100,000/- persons.

We need these medicines by Tuesday 28th April latest.

If you wish contribute by cash or kind call Mario on +94 77 7371 204

List of Medicines Needed

RCCR Bank Details for the IDP Project

We have added a seperate project account for friends of Rotary who are interested in contributing towards this cause.

Details are available on the right hand side column.

If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact us.

RCCR Thanx all our family & friends who helped over the weekend

RCCR wishes to acknowledge the spontaneous contributions made by family & friends of Rotary over the weekend by contributing approx. Lkr. 132,500/- (8,000 Ltrs) towards the Rotary Districts goal of supplying Purified Drinking Water to the IDP's.

40,000 Ltrs of Water is assured for the civilians in the IDP Camps, thanks to Rotary!

RCCR ties up with ACT

RCCR has entered into a working arrangement with the Action & Care Trust (ACT) headed by Prof. A.H Sheriffdeen, Emeritus Professor of Surgery. ACT has been granted approval to access several receiving hospital to provide assistance & critical relief.

ACT has requested us to provide assistance in sourcing several types of medicine as soon as possible. The initial list of medicine required is published. Based on the list , the RCCR has already secured LKR 287,000 (US$ 2453) worth of medicine through one of our donors, Emar Pharma (Pvt) Ltd,. The medicine will be delivered to ACT shortly.

We will publish the further requirements of medicine as and when the details are received.

List of Medicine Supplied

Rotary to supply 100,000 Ltrs of Drinking Water

The Rotary District - RI 3220 Sri Lanka, on the request of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is urgently seeking 100,000 Ltrs of Purified Drinking Water to be distributed to the IDP camps.

The Rotary Club of Colombo Regency has so far collected and received donations over 4,000 Ltrs.

NEW CAUSE - Relief for Internally Displaced People (IDP's) of Sri Lanka

Thank you for all your assistance and support during the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami.

We are now facing a different challenge of helping over 100,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP's) who have crossed over to the Government controlled areas over the last few weeks.

The Rotary Club of Colombo Regency is once again formulating relief efforts.

AWAIT FURTHER DETAILS!
President 2008/ 2009 - Rtn. Nayana Serasinghe

+94 77 7385 575 / nayanas@dinotait.com

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The Internally Displaced People (IDP’s) – The IDP’s are accommodated in safe zones established by the government, and are provided with necessary basic food and health care needs. Although government and a few non-governmental agencies have provided basic relief, not all needs of the affected people have been met given the difficult circumstances prevailing in the affected areas. Large volumes of supplies are required, and from time to time the government circulates the requirements to the public seeking their assistance.

Over 100,000 civilians have fled from the LTTE controlled areas into the safe zones and are accommodated in 52 camps established by the government of Sri Lanka in Vavunia and Trincomalee Districts to accommodate the IDP’s.