NRC to rebuild majority tsunami

-destroyed schools in NE

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has undertaken the rebuilding of 65 schools of 122, which have been destroyed or badly damaged in the tsunami disaster in the northeast province. 16 schools in Batticaloa, 20 in Amparai, 17 in Trincomalee, 9 in Mullaitivu and 3 in Jaffna is the district-wise breakdown said Ms. Bente Sandal-Aasen, Education Advisor and Co-ordinator of the NRC in Sri Lanka during her stay in Trincomalee Saturday.

Ms. Bente Sandal-Aasen, Education Advisor and Co-ordinator, Norwegian Refugee Council Of the balance, UNICEF would rebuild 11 schools (Batticaloa-04, Amparai-04, and Mullaitivu-3) and the Rotary International 14 (Batticaloa-9, Amparai-4 and Trincomalee-1).

Italian Civil Protection Mission will reconstruct 11 schools (Batticaloa-2, Amparai-4, and Trincomalee-5. GTZ of Germany would rebuild 6 schools in Jaffna. Green Movement of Sri Lanka (Batticaloa-1 and Amparai-2), Round Table International (Batticaloa-1), Dialog GSM (Batticaloa-1, Amparai-1 and Jaffna-1), Mason Mixture Company (Batticaloa-1), Maharajah Organization (Batticaloa-1 and Jaffna-1), Work wear Lanka Pvt.Ltd. (Amparai-2), and Ms Anarkalai Moonasinghe (Amparai-3) have also undertaken to rebuild the destroyed or damaged schools, education sources said.

All the INGO s and local NGOs have signed Memorandum of Understanding with the education ministry officials regarding the rebuilding projects, sources said.

The breakdown of tsunami destroyed and damaged schools in the northeast district wise: - Batticaloa-36, Amparai-40, Trincomalee-23, Mullaitivu-12 and Jaffna-11, education sources said.


Ms. Bente Sandal-Aasen, Education Advisor and Co-ordinator, Norwegian Refugee Council

Greek floating hospital to help Trinco tsunami victims

A Greek passenger ship converted into a floating hospital arrived in Trincomalee harbour around 9 a.m., Saturday morning with a 70 member medical team. The ship will remain in the eastern port town till 31 March, said Mr.Efstathios Lozos, Ambassador of Greece to Sri Lanka, addressing journalists on board.

A Greek shipping firm, Majestic International Cruises Company, offered its one of its passenger vessels OCEAN MONARCH to the Government of Greece free of charge for the humanitarian mission to Sri Lanka, Ambassador Mr.Lozos said.

The ship left PIRUS Greek port city, a port in Greece about two weeks ago.

Ambassador Mr.Lozos and Deputy Provincial Director of Health in the Provincial Ministry Dr.S.Abraham and Dr (Ms) P.K.Gnanagunalan, Medical Superintendent of the Trincomalee general hospital received the medical team at the Ashraff Jetty, sources said.

Mr.Lozos said the floating hospital will start its medical services within a week and they will collaborate with the Trincomalee general hospital.

The floating hospital comprises an operating theatre, fully equipped laboratory, X-Ray unit, Radiology Unit, and a Pathological unit. It brought 750 tonnes of medicine and an ambulance. Greece Red Cross Society sent eleven-member team to serve during the stay in Trincomalee, sources said. The medical team includes Surgeon, Gynaecologist, Psychiatrist and Paediatrician.

Mr. Economon is the Chief of the Humanitarian Mission and the head of the medical team is Dr. Manolis Anastesagis.

The Government of Greece, soon after the calamity of December 26 responded to the immediate needs of the people and the Government of Sri Lanka by dispatching military aircrafts transporting humanitarian aid. It also announced a medium term emergency development aid of 150,000 Euros. At the same Greek NGOs offered their services to the affected areas hit by the tsunami, Greece Embassy in Colombo said in a press release.


Greek medical officials discussing with their counterparts in the Trincomalee general hospital on board the floating hospital.