TRO lists immediate relief needs

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 December 2004, 11:17 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) has released a list of immediate requirements in an urgent appeal to the International Community. The full extent of the tragedy is still being counted and there is widespread view that the initial impact is only the beginning of a major tragedy to unfold in the near future due to disease and starvation, TRO said in an it's appeal to the International Community. The loss of lives and properties and the destruction of physical and social infrastructure have thrown a major humanitarian challenge, TRO said.

Excerpts from the appeal follow:

TRO's appeal to the International Community

TRO appeals to the international community to provide much needed assistance to meet this enormous challenge. TRO staff and volunteers are locals who have faced the brunt of this devastation and are working with passion to help their loved ones.

TRO has made calls to Diaspora through its 14 overseas offices to solicit financial and physical assistance to deal with operational challenges and for expert assistance. We anticipate significant overseas expert volunteers in the next few days to come.

The following are urgent requirements to attend to the immediate phase:

1. Food (includes milk powder, precooked food) for 80 000 familes, 3 times/day, meals for two weeks.
2. Non food items (includes kitchen utensils, 100 000 mats)
3. Clothing (special concern for women and children)
4. Drugs (paracetamol, antibiotics, dressings, suture material, disposable syringes)
5. water purification tablets (500 000) and water containers (5 lit. capacity)
6. Temporary shelters (25,000 tents for a family of 4 and 50 medical tents)
7. portable generators (50)

The above phase of operation would be followed-up by preventive efforts to address water born diseases. TRO is taking necessary efforts to gather required human and material resources to commence this face as soon as possible.

TRO believes that appropriate and immediate efforts taken at this juncture would avoid extensive further human tragedy.

TRO estimates that over 2 million us dollars is required to address this in any meaningful manner and appeal to the international community to assist the people who are devastated by the extent of this calamity.

Director
Disaster management unit
TRO

for further contacts.
00 94 112 693254 ( Colombo)
00 94 21 228 3947 (killinochi)

cpara@hotmail.com
www.troonline.org

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