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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Cardinal visits tsunami survivors

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor went to Sri Lanka to meet tsunami survivors and find out what CAFOD and its partners are doing to help
"Donations to CAFOD are making possible the resurrection of devastated communities," said Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor after visiting projects in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka.

"I was delighted to see the joy and relief which new homes and new livelihoods have brought to suffering families."

The Cardinal arrived for a 12-day trip to Sri Lanka on December 26 - the one-year anniversary of the tsunami that devastated the country and caused widespread destruction across Asia. He was accompanied by CAFOD director Chris Bain.

First, he took part in memorial events near Colombo, before traveling to the east coast region of Batticaloa to see CAFOD's rebuilding work.

A warm welcome

As the Cardinal travelled around the villages in the region, he was garlanded and daubed with the characteristic red spot on his forehead. Outside the new houses built by CAFOD's local Caritas partners, milk boiled over - a traditional housewarming ritual.

Caritas has begun work on 400 permanent new homes and plans to help 8,000 families return to their homes. Some 90,000 homes are needed in Sri Lanka following the tsunami: in a normal year, about 8,000 are built.

CAFOD has pledged =A34.8m to partners in Sri Lanka (Caritas Sri Lanka and JRS) for reconstruction. Around 2,000 permanent houses are planned for Ampara and Batticaloa.

He heard from the beneficiaries of the new houses of their delight and hope for the future.

At each village the Cardinal thanked people for the warmth of their welcome, and praised the humanitarian work of reconstruction for villagers of all faiths made possible by the generosity of Catholics from England and Wales.

In one Muslim village, the leader told him that "while many people came and made promises, it was the Catholics who stayed and built us houses."

Around 90 per cent of those made homeless by the tsunami remain in temporary housing. The construction of permanent homes has been slowed by the shortage of building skills and changes in government regulations.

The Cardinal's party then went on to the city of Kandy and to the capital Colombo for meetings with religious and political leaders before travelling south to Galle to visit more tsunami-hit communities.

The Cardinal said, "I've enjoyed my visit to Sri Lanka, and learned much. I've especially learned of the efficiency and dedication of the development agencies, especially our own CAFOD; and what expertise is needed, post-tsunami, to enable the people of this country to gather their hopes, their resources, for a living future.

"It will take time, but it will happen. Certainly the basis for Sri Lanka's recovery is being laid, as I saw for myself in the villages in the south and the east where I was invited to open many well-built houses constructed by Caritas and funded by the generosity of people in the UK."

Chris Bain said the trip with the Cardinal was rewarding. He said, "To speak with people about how the tsunami had devastated their lives and then to hear how they had rebuilt their lives with CAFOD's help was a very humbling, very moving experience."