Sponsored children feared among those affected

Call for increased donations to assist in Plan's response

International child-centred community development organisation, Plan, has received official reports from USAID assessing the widespread damage in the Hambantota District of south eastern Sri Lanka, part of Plan's program area where some 1200 Australia sponsored children live.

Plan has worked with sponsored children and their communities in Hambantota and several surrounding villages for over a decade.

"Some 525,000 people were living in the Hambantota District with 100,000 on the one km coastal strip. Hambantota township is the worst affected community", said Douglas Orr, Senior Program Manager of Child Centred Community Development for Plan Australia.

"The Hambantota District Secretary has reported 4,500 deaths in the district, with fears the toll could be as high as 10,000, with some 20,000 people still unaccounted for. As many as 5000 homes have been destroyed and 28,946 families displaced. 37 camps have been established to temporarily house the survivors."

Other affected communities include Ambalantota, Tangale, Tissanaharama, Beliaththa and Sooriyawewa. Most areas are now accessible, but there is no electricity, land lines or mobile telephone services.

"Most structures within one km of the coastline were destroyed by the Tsunami. Heath centres have been damaged, but thankfully, hospitals in the district were not. Providing power to the hospitals is a priority for Plan," said Mr Orr. More details of Plan's response are included at the end of this release.

"While the impact of this type of disaster is felt by every person, in the immediate aftermath, children have fewer resources than adults with which to cope. The very young lack the language skills, or experience, to understand what has happened to them, or to communicate their needs," said Ian Wishart, CEO of Plan Australia.

"The unseen impact of a disaster is the psychological damage. Children are especially vulnerable and if symptoms are not addressed properly the impact can be carried for the rest of their lives. Agencies must act to give children and their parent's skills in dealing with these psychological wounds. Otherwise we risk overlooking the very ones we dare to rebuild the future for," said Mr Wishart.

Plan's international appeal and is already in receipt of pledges in excess of US$2million but much more is needed. Australian's have contributed over AUS$125,000 towards the Plan Tsunami Appeal.

Funds are urgently required to both meet basic needs including much needed fresh water, medical supplies, sanitation facilities and electricity generators and also to support long term community rehabilitation and restoration of family livelihoods.

Plan's Response:

Plan immediately gave $200,000 for the national fund - $100,000 for general relief and $100,000 earmarked for reconstruction in Hambantota.

Plan is supplying 14 generators to provide light in temporary camps in areas without electricity at a cost of around $45,000.

Plan will ensure latrines, water storage tanks and bathing places in 35 camps in Hambantota District.

Plan is now supplying five mobile pumps to empty Hambantota's many wide-diameter open wells of the polluted salt water which filled them during the tsunami, so allowing fresh water to re-charge them (These complement similar pumps bought to respond to a small flood last year. These were put to work again after the tsunami.)

Plan is supplying essential medicines to the national medical supply system for use in camps

Plan will purchase and distribute school supplies - initially 20,000 sets of exercise books, pens etc - to enable children who lost these in the flood to re-start education when schools re-open. Education is too often the unseen casualty in disasters. These will be distributed in Hambantota and other areas.

Plan is investigating support for play and psychosocial trauma healing activities in the camps.

While no Plan-sponsored communities in Indonesia, India, Thailand or Bangladesh have been severely impacted by the tsunami disaster, Plan is working closely with governments and other aid agencies in these countries on how Plan's expertise in dealing with children can best support relief efforts.

To make a secure online donation to the Tsunami Asia Appeal, visit Plan's website www.plan.org.au , call 1800 038 100 or SMS your name and donation amount to 0429 11 31 31. Plan will call to confirm payment details for SMS pledges.

Media enquiries for more information, photographs or to arrange an interview with Plan Officers Lucy Perera, or Douglas Orr in Sri Lanka or Richard Sandison or Ian Wishart in Australia contact:

Tim Cansfield-Smith
Media & Communications Manager
Plan Australia
Phone: 03 5348 3634
Mobile: 0411 642 194

Plan has no religious or political affiliation. Child sponsorship is the basic foundation of our work with children around the world. For more information on Plan's work visit www.plan.org.au.