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Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), an independent
Non-Governmental Organization registered with Government of Sri Lanka,
appealed to the Tamil expatriates Sunday to donate towards meeting the
humanitarian crisis unfolding following the tsunami wave triggered
flooding in residential areas along the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.
Majority of families affected were from the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.
Full text of TRO's media released issued in Vanni Sunday26
December 2004, follows:
The North and East coast of the
Island of Sri Lanka has been devastated by unexpected tidal waves
which have swamped several villages and towns in the Amparai,
Mullaitivu Batticaloa Trincomalee and Vadamarachi districts.
Violent waves entered villages located up to 3 kilometres from the
coast in the districts of Batticaloa and Trincomalee. According to
the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) working in these
districts at least 2,000 people are unaccounted for. The majority of
those unaccounted for are women and children. The TRO along with the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and an army of civilian
volunteers are working together to provide immediate relief and
transport to those affected by the bloods, to safer areas.
The Trincomalee district is now said to be free of the flood with
survivors being housed at the St Xavier and Jamalia High Schools.
6 bodies are being temporarily held at the Trincomalee General
Hospital; more than 300 bodies have been discovered in the Mutthur
area and 52 bodies in the Vadamarachi district. Over 300 people are
being treated for shock and injuries in hospitals in the Vadamarachi
district. In mullaitivu district hundreads of deaths reported.
People are unable to return to their villages as there is
uncertainty and fear of further tidal waves.
TRO's resources
are badly stretched in meeting the immediate needs of the people
affected by these floods.
TRO appeals to the International
Community for urgent assistance to help meet this crisis.
The
entire proceeds of the donations to be made in response to TRO's
appeal on TTN's and IBC today and tomorrow are to be used
exclusively to provide immediate relief to the victims of the tidal
wave.
TRO calls upon the Tamil diaspora to respond generously
and urgently in this hour of need. It directs this public appeal to
all Tamil organisations (temples, churches, businesses, social
association's etc) throughout the world."
For Information on
donations, please use:
TRO Bank account in Colombo, Sri Lanka:
Bank A/C:
01607837001
Standard Chartered Bank
Wellewatte Branch
Colombo 06
Sri Lanka
TRO
410/112, Buller Street
Buddhaloga Mawatha
Colombo 7
Phone: +94 1 69 32 54
Fax: +94 7 471 65 76
Telephone
numbers in USA:
Seattle, Washington.......360-5140747
North Carolina................919-7837519
Chicago, Illinois.............920-9070911
Columbus,
Ohio.............614- 8322010
New Jersey.....................609-7797746
California.......................661-9421036
California.......................626-8067178
California.......................626-3368334
California.......................916-2533945
California.......................408-7368094
Florida...........................954-3454236
Florida...........................954-6756883
Kansas..........................620-3436292
Tennessee.....................615-3086862
MA................................781-9427087
New
York.......................718-6579463
Maryland.......................301-7292722
NY
(Buffalo)...................716-8648236
Texas...........................972-3702532
Send your
US checks to:
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization
517 Old Town Road,
Cumberland, Maryland 21502
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