wfn.org | ACNS Appeal for Crisis Aid for Sri Lankan Refugee Casualties

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Appeal for Crisis Aid for Sri Lankan Refugee Casualties

Posted On : June 5, 2009 3:40 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
Related Categories: Sri Lanka

ACNS: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/6/5/ACNS4635

Received via email from the Bishop of Kurungala...I have just returned
to the island after the 14th Meeting of the Anglican Consultative
Council in Kingston. Jamaica. I have had to return to a very disturbing
situation, which we will try to explain below. I am sure that you have
already heard about the worsening situation of the innocent casualties
of the civilian population, due to the conflict in the North East of the
Country.

The situation in Northern Sri Lanka has reached crisis point. As
fighting continued thousands of civilians were caught in the crossfire
trying to escape to safety. Civilian casualties increased daily and
hospitals have gone beyond their breaking point. Hospitals on the border
and in the refugee camps do not have sufficient staff, medicines, food
or beds to treat the daily arrivals. The injured are now being evacuated
to hospitals across the country, (Places such as Anuradhapura, Kandy,
Gampola. Hingurakgoda, Polonnanruwa and Kurunagala which are in the area
that comes under the Diocese of Kurunagala ) to try to share the burden
and deliver the necessary emergency treatment

Here in Kurunagala, a large town in the North Western Province of Sri
Lanka, we have received over one thousand (1000) evacuated patients and
internally displaced people to our hospital in the last few days and are
imminently expecting more. Resources here are now stretched beyond
capacity. There are severe shortages of medicines, particularly pain
relief and antibiotics, a lack of staff, beds and mosquito nets and not
enough food or clean drinking water. The evacuees arriving are in need
not only of medical care. They have been forced to leave everything
behind, are separated from their families and have no clothing, money or
belongings,

A committee has been established of hospital management, clergy and
local government officials to try to mobilize immediate emergency
support for the situation. Our local clergy and congregations are
organizing relief parcels for the evacuees and sending parcels of
clothes and food, but this is a poor rural area and resources are
limited everywhere We are appealing, to the international community, and
to all our partners to help us provide basic necessities to these
displaced and sick people that come especially within the geographical
area of the Diocese of Kurunagala.

Our most urgent need is for cash to purchase medicines, mosquito nets
and clothing for the evacuees. We are able to purchase these locally if
we have the necessary resources. We also have an urgent requirement for
water mattresses, air mattresses and folding teds. These are not
available locally. We estimate an initial requirement of 1,000,000LKR
(6000GBP/9500USD) to purchase immediate emergency supplies. But the
situation will continue for some time and for the moment our need has
gone up to over SL Rs 5,000,000. We shall be grateful for all foreign
cash transfers to be done electronically. The details for cash transfer
are provided below. I am sorry that our earlier details had conflicting
information and details about the bank account and some of you could not
send the funds. We have now corrected this below, Please note that all
funds received in cash or kind will be acknowledged directly and
officially We hope to keep all of you regularly updated with latest
information regarding this situation.

Every minute that passes another patient is treated without pain relief
We beg you, please not to delay your decision to help us,

> Rt Revd Kumara lllangasinghe
> Bishop of Kurunagala.

> Church of Ceylon (Anglican)

> Contact and Transfer Details

Address: Bishop's House, 31 Kandy Road, Kurunagala. Sri Lanka
Phone: 0094 (0)37 22 22 191
Fax: 0094 (0) 37 22 26 806
Email: bishopkg@sltnet.lk

> Name of the A/c: The Bishop of Kurunagala
> Bank A/c No. 712410
> Name of the Bank: Bank of Ceylon, Super Grade Branch, Kurunagala, Sri
> Lanka.
> Swift Code: BCEYLKLXXXX.

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