Efficient deployments benefit thousands in Batticaloa - TRO

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 December 2004, 23:08 GMT]
Many villages have been marooned under flood water preventing people from returning to their homes though rain has stopped for the last two days in Batticaloa district. Vaharai divisional secretariat division was the worst affected area by the floods in the Batticaloa district. Hundreds of families had sought refuge at schools and other public buildings. Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) was there providing urgently needed assistance to the flood victims, civil sources in Vakarai told TamilNet. 4505 Vakarai villagers have benefited by this timely help, according to a TRO official.




A new born child and mother were rescued by TRO medical team by providing saline for 3 days in Vakarai.

"212 TRO volunteers are engaged in relief related activities. About 2500 families have been severely affected and displaced" said Mr. S. Ceasar, TRO director for Batticaloa and Ampara districts.

Volunteers are working round the clock since 13th December when the Northeastern districts were devastated by heavy rain and flood.

"Elaborate arrangements have been made to provide 1500 packages of dry rations to villages Mankerny, Panichankerni, Uriankaddu, Vakarai Central, Kandaladi, Vammivattavan, Palkerni and Kathiraveli in Vakarai Division and 455 bags to Koraveli village in Kiran division on Monday", Mr. Ceasar added.

A lorry load of essential flood relief goods such as rice, flour, pulses sugar and tea has arrived from Colombo TRO office Sunday.

"This assistance is provided by funds given by diaspora Tamils all over the world to the flood victims in NorthEast districts" Mr.K.Devarajah said. Mr. Devarajah coordinates the various TRO activities such as provision of cooked meals, dry rations, transport services by boats and medical assistance in Batticaloa and Amaparai districts.

"Until Sunday 19th December, cooked meals to 9825 families numbering 26928 members and packages of dry rations containing rice, flour, sugar, tea and pulses to 594 families numbering 2342 members have been provided in Vakarai, Chenkalady, Kiran, Valaichenai, Pattipalai, Eravur and Poratheevupattu DS divisions", Mr. Devarajah added.

"In Ampara district 3 villages have been provided flood relief assistance," he continued.

Medical assistance has been provided to people suffering from cold, fever and skin diseases.

TRO's Humanitarian Demining Unit (HDU) too has in the meantime engaged in mines risks education activites. Military laid land mines have been identified in the village Murakotanchenai floating in the flood water. HDU with the technical assistance of the british demining agency Mine Action Group (MAG) has taken action to clear and destroy those mines.

In an urgent meeting with Batticaloa District Secretary, Mr. V. Shanmugam and divisional secretaries it was decided that all flood victims in Batticaloa district who need assistance will be provided cooked food by TRO. And the dry rations will be provided by TRO for the villages not covered by other agencies or by the government until the displaced people get back to their homes, District Secretariat sources said.

It was also agreed that TRO will arrange boat services to the villages marooned by flood water. At Vavunatheevu TRO has arranged 2 boats for ferrying people. Thousands of people have benefited by this free service, sources said.