Public urged to donate to Y Care International’s Sri Lanka floods appeal

6 June 2003

Y Care International, the international relief and development agency of the YMCA in the UK and Ireland, is calling for contributions to YMCAs in Sri Lanka after the island’s worst floods for half a century swept across southern districts at the weekend, killing dozens of people and displacing at least 150,000 families.

People desperately need drinking water and food – and many have lost their homes and crops as well. One entire village was wiped out in a landslide.

YMCAs in two of the affected areas, Matara and Galle, say that local people’s immediate needs are dry rations and cooked meals.

Speaking from Galle, the YMCA’s Peter Christombige said: “The situation is quite desperate for those who have been affected. We have been working with the Indian Army and local churches to do all we can to get food and water to those in need.”

Aruna Nonis of the National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka said: “We are in touch with YMCAs in the affected areas as well as the government departments.

“We need medicine, and another problem is that children have lost their books and other educational materials, which they will need very soon when they are able to go back to school.”

Y Care International is now urging members of the public to support its partner organisations in Sri Lanka.