Sri Lanka -- Former Medair Country Director returns to Sri Lanka project site.

For many people all over the world, 26 December 2004 is a painful and sombre anniversary. The loss of life, the destruction of homes, and the damage to infrastructure and livelihoods caused by the South Asian tsunami was instantaneous - and devastating.

In response, Medair set up a programme in the worst-affected area of Sri Lanka, in Ampara district on the East Coast.

Nearly two years later, Ben Nicholson, ex-Country Director for Medair Sri Lanka -- now Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Tearfund UK -- went to visit an old project site.

"In March, I was visiting a Tearfund partner in Sri Lanka. On our way along the east coast, we stopped off at Addalaichennai, the site of the Medair project two years ago," said Ben. "I was nervous at what I would find; I half-expected to see the transitional shelters we'd built rusting and discarded. I was really surprised and delighted to find this wasn't the case at all! Most of them are still being used in one way or another."

In just seven months, the Medair team constructed 2,500 temporary shelters, cleaned over 1,000 wells, built over 1,000 latrines, and distributed essential relief items: jerry cans, soap, buckets, mosquito nets, and milk powder. With the immediate relief needs met, the programme closed in August 2005, although its impact continues today.

"We met one man, Ishadeen, who is still living in his transitional shelter, " continued Ben. "The consensus is that although they are quite hot, at least they don't leak! Ishadeen is now building his own house, from bricks and mortar, and paid for by him - without any NGO support."

Although no longer operational in Sri Lanka, Medair continues to monitor the country's relief needs, in light of recent political unrest.

Pictures courtesy of Ben Nicholson

Founded in 1988, Medair is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) independent of any political, economic, social or religious authority. Its international headquarters are based in Switzerland. Its mission is exclusively humanitarian and it accomplishes its work in a spirit of dedication and solidarity, inspired by its Christian values.

Medair's objectives are to respond to suffering victims in war and disaster situations (especially those which have been forgotten or neglected) through various kinds of emergency and rehabilitative projects.

Medair employs 50 people in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Holland. In the field, 120 full-time expatriates help populations in difficulty, with the support of 1600 local employees.

The organisation is certified ISO 9001 at world wide level for its quality management system.