Government of Sri Lanka / President recognize TRO with award for construction of post–tsunami transitional shelters Batticaloa Branch Office

Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) received an award on 22 August 2005 from Her Excellency President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in recognition of its contribution to the Transitional Accommodation Project (TAP). The President invited representatives of the UN Agencies, and International and Local NGO's to Tea at the President's House where a ceremony was held to mark the building of 50,000 temporary shelters for tsunami affected families. The President thanked all of the organizations present for their outstanding work in reaching this goal so despite the enormity of the natural disaster that Sri Lanka experienced on 26/12/04. TRO was recognized for building 3,240 temporary shelters. To date TRO has completed over 8,500 temporary shelters.

The TAP project was coordinated by the Task Force for Relief (TAFOR). TRO was one nine of NGO's and INGO's recognized for building over 1,000 Temporary Shelters TRO has built transitional shelters that meet, or exceed, TAFOR's minimum standards in the districts of Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Amparai. The transitional shelters were constructed with cement floors, walls brick and tin or masonite, and roofs of cadjan or cooling sheets.

The building of the temporary shelters was coordinated through TRO's District Offices using local engineers for technical advice and management. Where available, local skilled and unskilled labour was employed in the districts to complete the construction and provide a source of income to the tsunami affected populations. All temporary shelters were built with access to potable water and toilets.

Access by the communities to schooling and health services is ensured by a team of camp managers and community based organisations.

While more than 8,500 transitional shelters have been constructed there is still significant work to be undertaken to improve upon these shelters, provide permanent housing, improve village infrastructure and create a sustainable economy in the tsunami and war affected areas. TRO is seeking additional funding to ensure that this work continues in these areas.

TRO thanks the Her Excellency the President for her recognition of the efforts of TRO's 3,500 staff, 10,000 volunteers, in the NorthEast and internationally through TRO's 16 offices worldwide, who have all worked tirelessly over the past eight months to alleviate the suffering of the Tsunami and War Affected populations of the NorthEast. We hope that this relationship develops along these positive lines as it is the alleviation of the suffering of the Tsunami affected persons that is of paramount importance.

Speeches at the ceremony were also given by Mr. Tilak Ranaviraja (Chairman TAFOR), Mr. Miguel Bermeo (UN Resident Representative, UNDP), Ms. Jo Da Silva (UNHCR), Ms. Mary Sheehan (IOM), Ms. Suriya Kumari (OfERR Ceylon), and Mr. Tapan Kumar Barman (Sevalanka).

The award was accepted by Arjunan Ethirveerasingam on behalf of the TRO's staff, volunteers, and partner organisations throughout the world.

For further information please contact:
Lal Gunawardene
Information Officer TRO
Phone: +94 (0) 11 269 3254

OR

Arjunan Ethirveerasingam
Project Development Manager / Housing
Phone: +94 (0) 11 269 3254
Mobile: 077 674 6594
arjunan100@yahoo.com