Sri Lanka: One Year On


A year has elapsed since the tsunami that killed more than 35,000 people in Sri Lanka alone and left half a million people homeless. The huge destruction wrought by the waves prompted one of the world's largest relief efforts.

The Damage

The tsunami affected five out the nine provinces in Sri Lanka and the economic impact was enormous.

Around $900 million worth of assets were destroyed, and the livelihoods of around 200,000 people were ruined.


Nearly 24,000 acres of cultivated agricultural land were damaged by the salty water.

Damaged fishing boatIn its wake, the tsunami also left Sri Lanka's fishing industry in ruins. 75% of the total fishing fleet was wiped out, and nearly 100,000 people in the fishing industry lost their jobs overnight.

In total, around 275,000 Sri Lankans lost their jobs following the disaster.

The tsunami also shattered health and education infrastructure. 86 medical facilities, 195 vocational training centres and university buildings were destroyed along with 59 schools.

The Response

Islamic Relief rapidly established offices in Ampara and Colombo and began work coordinating the emergency response in Nintavur.

Emergency Phase

Focussing on the Ampara region, Islamic Relief began distributing aid amongst the survivors. Just two days after the disaster, IR aid workers were distributing food packs, hygiene kits and tinned Qurbani meat. The priority was to prevent malnutrition and the spread of disease.

Recovery Phase

A month after the disaster, IR staff began working on the rehabilitation of areas affected by the disaster. During this phase IR staff helped to rehabilitate Nintavur hospital, and set to work restoring homes, providing clean water supplies and supporting orphans and widows.

Reconstruction Phase

The reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas devastated by the tsunami is well underway. IR staff are currently working to provide survivors with long-term shelter.