Sri Lankans left homeless after the recent Tsunami will be given emergency shelter paid for by the generous donations of the Byron community.
$40,000 will be given to Oxfam Community Aid Abroad to co-ordinate the supply of corrugated iron roofing to devastated Sri Lankans. The co-ordinating committee for the Beach Hotel Tsunami support group identified emergency shelter as a priority for the first round of funds raised on Australia Day.
Ian helping with relief efforts in Hikkaduwa, Sri LankaGreens MLC Ian Cohen said $40,000 out of the $97,000 raised overall was urgently needed to supply emergency shelter before the wet season arrived and also to provide badly needed trauma counselling to victims.
“Blues Festival representatives on the committee, Peter Noble and Grant Hilton, were strongly in favour of helping immediately. Basic shelter is still in short supply. Lance Innes who just returned from filming in Sri Lanka stressed in his report to the committee that basic needs were still not being met and that the generosity of the Byron community could also help in the psychological rebuilding of traumatised people, particularly children.
“The substantial fundraising by events at the Beach Hotel Australia Day fundraiser was an overwhelming success. Organised by the Byron community, while I was still helping the relief effort in Sri Lanka, the event made a wonderful homecoming.
“The money raised from this and the Beach Hotel’s New Year takings, generously donated by John Cornell and Delvene Delaney, exceeded my wildest expectations,” Mr Cohen said.
A key consideration for the co-ordinating committee has been to target the funds raised in the most effective way, to ensure Sri Lankan victims were given the help they most needed.
“It was agreed that it was best to move the funds through a registered Australian charity like Oxfam CAA, which has an ongoing relationship and significant experience in Sri Lanka and with the community group, Greens SL,” Mr Cohen said.
Mr Cohen said Oxfam CAA had agreed to provide ongoing status reports on funding expenditure. No commission will be taken by the organisation but realistic costs incurred will be reported back to the committee.
Further Information: Ian Cohen, 0409 989 466
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