Diocese of Colombo Steps in to Help Flood and Landslide Victims

Flooding and landslides triggered by monsoon rains hit Sri Lanka in May, leaving more than 200 people dead and over 600,000 displaced from their homes.

While the country is struggling to survive the twin disasters, which have caused massive destruction and loss of lives in 15 districts, Believers Church Diocese of Colombo has stepped in to do its bit to provide relief and help to those affected. The diocese has already distributed food, dry ration items, clothes, medicines and school supplies to the affected people in four districts.

On 2nd June 2017, the diocese provided cooked meals (lunch) to the families that have taken shelter at a government school in one of the districts and distributed 400 food packets among them.

On 3rd June, three distribution programs were held. One of the relief teams went and distributed 50 lunch packets among landslide victims, residing at a temporary shelter provided by the Disaster Management center. Another team distributed 53 relief kits (consisting of 20 essential items) to flood victims and 20 school stationary packages to school children in this district.

On the same day, a ten-member team, under the leadership of Bishop Lal Vanderwall, the Bishop of Diocese of Colombo, distributed 115 relief packets among mudslide and flood affected families. Clothing and sanitary items were also handed out to 25 deserving women who had lost all their belongings in the flood. Through this distribution, the team was able to help 575 people and 25 school children with relief supplies and school stationary items.

On 4th June 2017, Bishop Lal Vanderwall and his team visited another district, the second worst flood affected area, where they distributed 23 relief packets to affected families and 20 school stationery kits to school children. Altogether 115 people were benefited by this distribution.

The recipients were very happy as they received a complete relief package consisting of dry rations, cooking utensils, clothes, bedding items, medicines, school bags and stationery items. The dry ration packet they received included rice (5 kg), dal (1 kg), soya meat (400 gram), salt (400 gram), chilly powder (100 gram), curry powder (100 gram), sugar (1 kg), tea leaves (250 gram), milk powder, biscuits, tin fish, candles, matchbox, water bottle (5 liters), washing soap (2), bathing soap (2), and a toothpaste.

Bed linen and clothe items package include 4 mats, 4 bed sheets, 2 towels, 4 pillows, 4 pillow cases, 2 inner wears (for ladies & gents), 1 ladies gown and 2 shorts.

The medicine supplies included 1 bottle dettol (disinfectant), sanitary napkin packet, paracetamol (30 tablets), bandages (plaster – 5 strips) and an oral dehydration drink.

Each family also received an aluminum rice cooking pot, water pot, frying spoon and rice spoon. The stationery package provided to school going children included a school bag, bottle, lunch box, mathematical compass box, exercise books (10 in quantity), pencil, pencil box, sharpener, eraser, ruler, black/blue pen.

Whenever a natural calamity of this kind strikes a place, Believers Church swings into action to do all it can to bring emergency assistance to communities affected.