TSUNAMI IN SRI LANKA: APPEAL FOR MORE AID AND A COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO LONG TERM PROBLEMS

TSUNAMI IN SRI LANKA:

APPEAL FOR MORE AID AND A COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO LONG TERM PROBLEMS

Ivan Corea, Chair of the Autism Awareness Campaign Sri Lanka and the UK has appealed to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chancellor Gordon Brown, for more long term aid for Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami disaster.

‘Sri Lanka desperately needs around a billion pounds – not in ten years but in the next year for rehabilitation and re-construction. Disease and extreme poverty will rock Sri Lanka as people have lost their livelihoods, their homes, their schools and thousands of businesses. Starvation is a very serious reality for people in the south and the east.’ said Ivan Corea.

He urged Tony Blair to set up an Asia-Pacific Commission, to examine the long term issues of the region, in the wake of the tsunami. ‘Sri Lanka will have severe problems for the next ten years as a result of the tsunami,’ he added.

The Autism Awareness Campaign Sri Lanka has also appealed the Britain’s disability organisations to reach out to the people of Sri Lanka. The disabled have also been badly affected, some have perished. There are many more disabled as a result of the horrific injuries sustained and they will need wheel chairs, crutches, medicine.

The Autism Awareness Campaign Sri Lanka are not collecting money themselves but are working with partners – the Rotary Club of Colombo to assist the needy in the affected areas. They are also working with the Sri Lanka High Commission in London to collect medicine, food, tents etc to be despatched via SriLankan Airlines to the needy areas.

Ivan Corea gave his heartfelt thanks to the British public who have raised over £60 million, the donations are flooding the Disaster Emergency Committee in London. Her Majesty’s Government have also contributed £50 million. Sri Lanka will need a billion to stave off poverty and disease. He said the British public have been magnificent – they are giving until it hurts and the donations from the public might well top the £100 million mark.

The Autism Awareness Campaign urged Chancellor Gordon Brown to look into cancelling Sri Lanka’s debts in the wake of the tsunami disaster – without debt relief Sri Lanka will go deep down into the depths of poverty in the next ten years.

For further particulars please see:

Autism Awareness Campaign Sri Lanka International Appeal

http://member.tripod.com/autism_srilanka
www.ukautism.com