Ocean Stars Year's End Event
The 2011 Ocean Stars Year's End Celebrations were a great success and everyone was very happy.
OceanStars :: Monday 12th December 2011 :: This Story
News about the latest Ocean Stars construction projects in Sri Lanka
News about the latest Ocean Stars construction projects in Sri Lanka
OceanStars :: Wednesday 28th September 2011 :: This Story
Ocean Stars has under taken a number of construction projects this year. This includes a new well and toilet at Addachakal Nursery; two new rooms at Kurumanvely and a well at Mandoor.
Flooding again in Batticaloa
The Batticaloa area is flooded again.
Ranchan :: Wednesday 2nd February 2011 :: This Story
The Batticaloa area is flooded again.
The rain has finally stopped. Before last week there was little sun, this week we have had whole days of rain, though not heavy. It is very difficult for people to move, to work, even to do chores.
Once again some of our nurseries were forced to close. Not only were there floods and closed roads but parents fear to send children to schools where they may catch diseases.
These photos are from Urani and Kirankulam Nurseries. Urani Nursery closed two days ago. Kirankulam Nursery closed the week before - their nursery is in a communal building, it's become a small refugee camp now. With the continual rain and flooded roads it would have to close anyway.
Most of the roads are broken, it makes traveling very difficult. All dams are filled; for the first time in 16 years Senanayaka Dam has 5 emergency gates open. Water is entering into the villages. River levels and dam levels rise up. In Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Mathara and Badulla people have been told to
expect mud slides.
Ocean Stars has started an appeal to assist flood victims. Please give to our Sri Lanka Flood Relief Appeal.
Batticaloa Floods
Conditions still poor around Batticaloa
Ranchan :: Sunday 30th January 2011 :: This Story
Here is a photo of the Addachakal Dam, which continues to overflow, it's near to Batticaloa.
People still struggle to get food and linen. We have delivered our 60 food parcels. We would love to give another 60 to some poor people or our sponsored children and teachers.
Nawatkadu Nurseries (Vel Vehile) and their families struggle lot. There are a total of 185 families in the village; if possible we want to help those people - they live in very bad conditions. Food parcels of a minimum 1000.00 Rs (£5.57 Sterling) would be nice.
Ocean Stars has started an appeal to assist flood victims. Please give to our Sri Lanka Flood Relief Appeal.
Donations to flood victims
We've bought some things for sponsored children and teachers.
Ranchan :: Friday 21st January 2011 :: This Story
We've bought some things for sponsored children and teachers. Here are some photos. We have also recieved some special requests such as tin sheets to repair roofs damaged by high winds and one sponsor family has asked for a new tent.
If we could give some more things it would be nice. Some poor families also need some help, please give generously.
We divided up the things we bought and delivered them to 60 families. Each bag contained rice, dal, pappadam, dry fish, tooth paste, rice flour, soap, sugar, tea powder, milk powder, vegetable oil and matches.
Those who got this bag were very happy and we hope this will keep them going for a week.
We gave those things to all D&D sponsor children, Vincent sponsored children and teachers also our members affect by floods. Some people's houses were flooded for more than one week. Lots of their things were damaged.
Latest Sri Lanka flood report
The rain stopped two days ago and the water has subsided in most places, some remote places are still flooded.
Ranchan :: Tuesday 18th January 2011 :: This Story
Schools and Nurseries
Most of the schools are being used as refugee camps, before the schools can reopen they need to restore normal service and this will take time. The nurseries have the same problem, some nurseries are sill contaminated with dirty water, because of this children could be at risk of diseases and fungal infection – tinea unguam, diarrhea, viral fever etc. Still, we hope to be able to restart most of the nurseries next week.
Roads
Some new roads were broken by flood water, most of the village roads are completely washed away.
Relief work
What most of the people say is that they did not receive anything from the government or NGOs. Some big NGOs were willing to help, however, in some places the government did not allow them to do so.
As Member of Parliament Mr.Yogeswaran said
The government has allocated 100.00Rs per day for each adult, but as one coconut costs 60.00Rs this is not enough for 3 meals, people are suffering. www.tamilwin.com 17.01.2011
Yesterday I met a man from the tsunami resettlement area who said
There are some people who could not cook for more than three days because they are paid daily and were unable to work during the floods. Their familes and children are suffering a lot.
With out work how they can get money?
Agriculture and Animals
Vast areas of paddy field have been washed away by flood water, rice prices are bound to increase. Thousands of animals like cows, cattle and chickens have died.
Sri Lanka flood statistics from government media
Ocean Stars has started an appeal to assist flood victims. Please give to our Sri Lanka Flood Relief Appeal
Ranchan :: Friday 14th January 2011 :: This Story
- Persons killed - 27
- Persons injured - 47
- Persons reported missing - 12
- Total affected people in 14 districts - 1,081,819 (287,871 families)
- Number of refugee camps - 591
- People who live in camps - 325,348
- Houses destroyed - 2,680
- Houses damaged - 15,274
- Dams and bunds destroyed - 400
Ocean Stars has started an appeal to assist flood victims. Please give to our Sri Lanka Flood Relief Appeal.
Ranchan writes from Batticaloa about the recent floods
317 mm, the highest rainfall recorded for a day for the last 100 years
Ranchan :: Tuesday 11th January 2011 :: This Story
On January 9 we had 317 mm of rain which was the highest rainfall recorded for a day for the last 100 years, said a spokesman for the Batticaloa District Meteorological Department Office.
The rain has now stopped but a number of dams have burst or are spilling over. Most of the roads are closed because of the water. There is no transport and no electricity. We live in very difficult situation. Thousands of acres of paddy land, vegetables and other crops have been destroyed by the heavy rains.
A number of local families are in the refugee camp. Their immediate needs are both linen - bed sheets, towels, etc. and also dry foods - rice, sugar, milk, dal, etc.
According to the Disaster Management Centre, the number of people displaced this morning, due to heavy rains and floods, amounts to 212,276 persons from 56,270 families. The majority of them are from the Batticaloa and Ampara districts. The rest are from Trincomalee district.
The Minister of Disaster Management, Mahinda Amaraweera, said that adverse weather conditions in the country have caused the Government a loss of Rs 30 billion.