Scarborough MP visits Sri Lanka

More than twenty years of internal strife have left thousands of people here, without basic needs. War has destroyed hospitals, schools and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. On December 26th the tsunami ravaged the northern, eastern and southern coastal regions of Sri Lanka. The magnitude of this natural disaster is seen and felt everywhere in this island country, by all people of all faiths and communities. It has again, uprooted them.

Further to the work Mr. Karygiannis initiated with members of the Canadian Diasporas of the affected areas of South Asia, with respect to immigration and international aid response, he traveled to Sri Lanka this week, to see first hand, the current situation on the ground. In every stop of this journey Mr. Karygiannis has expressed condolences. This expression of sympathy has been deeply appreciated by all those whom he has met.

After visiting political leaders and community organizations in Colombo, Mr. Karygiannis flew to Jaffna, the first area on his trip to the devastated communities on the island of Sri Lanka. He met with civil authorities and a representative of the shadow government before heading to the fishing village of Point Pedro, north of the city of Jaffna.

There, he found traumatized families who had escaped the tsunami with their very lives painstakingly reconstructing broken fishing vessels and rebuilding their homes, with whatever little means they have. They desperately need to return to work to provide for their families. The children, now without schoolbooks are anxious to return to their classes. Their courage and resilience are nothing short of remarkable in the aftermath of the tsunami. However, at the time of his visit, there was little presence of international aid in this area. The following day, several meetings were held in the city of Jaffna with political leaders, Members of Parliament and officials of Jaffna University.

Mullaitivu School Survying the dame of school on Mullaitivu beach

In these discussions Mr. Karygiannis learned more about the impact of this phenomenon and the difficulties being experienced in responding to this crisis. He also visited the newly re-constructed Jaffna Public Library. The original centuries-old institution that once held three thousand year old manuscripts on the history of South Asia had been burned during the civil strife. The new library is a testament to the motivation of the local people to rebuild their lives.

Jaffna Hospital Touring a bomb out hospital just outside Jaffna

Doctors at the Jaffna hospital told Mr. Karygiannis they treated one thousand casualties immediately after the tsunami and that two hundred of these patients still remain in their care. Though exhausted from coping with this unfathomable tragedy, they found time to discuss with him their need for expanding the hospital in order to treat patients who are psychologically traumatized by the devastation.

Today, Mr. Karygiannis traveled to the LTTE controlled area of Sri Lanka to view the destruction and talk about relief and rehabilitation efforts. In what was once the fishing village of Mullaitivu, he stood at the doorstep of the shell of a one hundred and twenty five year old church, surrounded by tangled fishing nets and other debris.

Church on Mullaitivu beach Chuch which was build in 1898 on Mullaitivu Beach completely destroyed

A short distance away, a parish priest with a few of his students had returned to clean up the remains of a school and collect whatever they could salvage. Only to go away empty handed.

However, life for the devastated tsunami survivors continues. There is a ray of hope in the refugee camps where international aid has started to arrive and children have time to play cricket.

UNHCR UNHCR working in local refugee camps

The relief efforts of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization

Meeting with TRO Meeting with Tamil Relief Organization REprsentatives

are evident in the camps as people are receiving counseling, food, shelter and other necessities. It is delivering this assistance on behalf of local and international non-governmental organizations such as UNICEF, World Vision and the Red Cross.

Cricket Playing Playing Cricket with kids in Refugee Camp

In speaking with the co-ordinator of the emergency task force office at the camp and touring what was once the local school, Mr. Karygiannis learned that efforts are being made to relocate people from the center to temporary shelters. The school year usually starts on January 10th and everyone is anxious for children to return to their studies.

Mr. Karygiannis met with the head of the political wing of the LTTE who expressed deep appreciation for the Canadian relief response and the presence of the DART TEAM in Ampara.

Ltte Leadership Met with Mr. Tamilshelvan political leader of the LTTE political wind