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HFHSL Disaster Response Program Overview Following the 2004 Asian tsunami which in Sri Lanka left over 35,000 dead and damaged or destroyed more than 98,000 homes, Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka immediately made plans to assist those families in need of permanent shelter. Teams of “First Builders” from the USA, New Zealand and other countries arrived soon after the disaster to assist in clean-up operations and to begin construction on the first homes. Although HFHSL had originally planned to provide small, 150 sq, ft. “core houses” to the tsunami survivors to at least house them quickly in a permanent structure at a relatively low cost, subsequent Sri Lankan government mandates required that the homes be built to a minimum of 500 sq. ft., if they were to be built on land donated by the government. Although HFHSL did eventually build a large number of these houses; a decision was taken to build 300 sq. ft. homes on land already belonging to the families or donated by family members.
Erecting emergency tents in Galle
Carrying coffins in Batticaloa |
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