The main coastal highway in the south of Sri Lanka was closed in the aftermath of the tsunami, delaying relief supplies. Galle International Stadium, the test match cricket ground at Galle, was devastated. It was unclear how they detected the coming disaster, although a sixth sense, perhaps the ability to hear the infrasound rumble of the tremors or approaching tsunami, was mentioned in reports. In the Yala National Park, many animals seemed to move to higher regions in order to escape the disaster. The Norwegian Peoples' Aid Organization assembled a team of mine sweepers to assess the situation. Chinese light T-72A anti-personnel mines, left after the two-decade civil war, were feared to have been washed up and spread by the surge of water. Curfews had been imposed in some areas to curb looting. Twenty thousand soldiers were deployed in government-controlled areas to assist in relief operations and maintain law and order after sporadic looting.
Hotels along the south coast were full of both foreign tourists and Sri Lankans making use of the long Christmas weekend. Vans with PA systems drove around calling on people to give whatever they could – money, clothes, bottles of water and bags of rice and lentils.Īpart from homes, many hotels as well as shops were reported to have been damaged. Īcross the island, collections were taken for those who had lost everything. Underground sources of water were salinated. A large number of agricultural vehicles and equipment were destroyed and canals and drains were blocked. Rubbish was also deposited on paddy lands. In addition, the extensive salinization of paddy lands rendered them unsuitable for paddy cultivation. 259 km² of paddy land was destroyed in the northern, eastern, southern and western coastal belts. The agricultural sector was affected seriously. The naval base at Trincomalee was reported to be submerged. More than 3,000 dead were reported at Batticaloa in the east. At Trincomalee in the northeast, where the tsunami reached more than 2 km (1.25 mi) inland, over 1,000 were confirmed dead. About 8,000 more dead were counted in the northeast region, which was controlled by the Tamil Tiger. A holiday train, the " Queen of the Sea", was struck by the tsunami near the village of Telwatta as it travelled between Colombo and Galle carrying at least 1,700 passengers, killing all but a handful on board. In the eastern Sri Lankan Ampara District alone, more than 10,000 people died. Safe routes have been clearly marked in public areas to enable tourists and visitors to evacuate to in the event of any future disaster.Remains of a house near Telwatte, photographed in March 2008. The Disaster Management Centre was set up which now houses the national Emergency Operations Centre, which is equipped to receive, analyze and disseminate information about disaster incidents.Įarly warning systems were established along the coastal belt and people living in disaster prone areas, were trained on evacuating to the nearest safe locations. The aftermath of such disasters highlighted the urgent need for effective mechanisms to coordinate disaster response, including dissemination of information and organising relief. United Nation’s projects assisted the communities to achieve sustainable recovery through the reconstruction of homes, schools, roads, water and sanitation and other essential facilities. The United Nations’ projects that followed covered five cities and twenty-five settlements, starting the process of rebuilding and recovery. The United Nations worked with the Sri Lankan Government, donors and key stake holders to assess the tsunami’s impact, prioritizing the areas that were in need of immediate aid, and provided relief assistance. Humanitarian assistance teams were then sent to affected regions to deliver much needed emergency assistance, and facilitate information management and liaison with rest of the world. Emergency assistance was given, and steps were taken to feed some 400,000 displaced persons. The immediate response of the United Nations was to send out a flash appeal requesting aid for all affected regions. This disaster brought in its wake, one of the largest humanitarian responses in recent history. In Sri Lanka, more than 35,000 people lost their lives and thousands were left homeless. It caused widespread destruction around the coastal belts of countries close to Indonesia, where the earthquake which triggered the tidal wave took place. On 26 December 2004, Sri Lanka became a victim of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. 2004 The United Nations' Post-Tsunami Assistance in Sri Lanka