With the recent Asian Tsunami disaster many sponsors are concerned about the children they sponsor, and those children's families and communities.

Plan is working to quickly establish the status of all children in the impacted program areas.

At this stage, reports received indicate that children sponsored by Australians in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Bangladesh & the Philippines are all okay.

The worst affected country is Sri Lanka and it does appear as if damage has been caused to one Plan supported community.

We believe that damage has been caused to the District of Hambantota where Plan has programs. At present no communication with the Hambantota District is possible so our staff have travelled there to conduct a first hand assessment. Just as soon as they can return we will have more up-to-date news.

Other Districts in Sri Lanka where Plan works do not appear to have been affected i.e. Colombo, Kurunegala, Anduradhapura, Matale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Moneragala.

Australian sponsors of children in Sri Lanka can check their child information and number to establish if the child lives in the impacted area.

Sponsored children with the number prefix 0207 (Colombo), 291 (Kandy) and 340 (North West Programs are all okay.

More work is required to establish the status of children who have the number prefix 276 (covering Badula and parts of Hambantota) and 289 Hambantota.

Please check the web site regularly for updates on the status of children and families in these later two areas.

Once a final check has been done Plan will be personally contacting sponsors with sponsored children in these areas to update them on the children.s status.

Our thoughts are with all the families and children impacted by this natural disaster.

Make an online donation today to Plan's Rebuilding Asia Appeal.