HLRN Tsunami Relief Appeal
2005-01-06

UN agencies, governments and civil society groups all over the world have launched several relief and rehabilitation initiatives. Unfortunately due to the massive scale of destruction, there is an urgent need to step up efforts.

While there is an immediate need to contribute towards relief operations which includes provision of drinking water, food, blankets and medical assistance, we need to keep in mind that reconstruction and restoration of homes and livelihoods, particularly of fishing communities who have suffered the most, will be one of our biggest challenges over the next few months. We should ensure that the special needs of women and girls are factored into all short- and medium-term relief planning.

At the South Asia Regional Programme of Habitat International Coalition - Housing and Land Rights Network (HIC-HLRN), we are in touch with partner organisations in affected areas and trying to raise funds to meet relief and rehabilitation needs. In New Delhi, we are a part of a consortium of concerned organisations and individuals that has come together to form the Delhi Tsunami Relief Committee to coordinate assistance and support to local organisations involved in the relief efforts. The Committee has agreed to focus on the most severely affected areas of the Andaman and Nicobar islands and in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Committee has also agreed to focus primarily on rehabilitation of the displaced and restoration of livelihoods.

For those interested in contributing to this effort, listed below are a few options:

1. Delhi Tsunami Relief Fund, Indian Social Institute, 10, Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003, India
   
   

Please make cheques out to: Indian Social Institute – Delhi Tsunami Relief Fund

2. Association for India's Development (AID),

P.O. Box F, College Park,

MD-20741, USA.

Association for India's Development (AID) working among affected communities in Tamil Nadu in southern India. Contributions to AID can be made through secure on-line credit-card deductions from AID's website: http://survivors.aidindia.org where further details and updates will also be made available. Please indicate that your contribution is for the "Relief and Rehabilitation Fund". Contributions can also be sent by cheque made payable to "AID" mailed to: Please indicate "Relief and Rehabilitation Fund" in the check memo.In India, cheques for AID can be mailed to AID-India, Old No 132, New No 242, Avvai Shanmugam Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600 086, Tamil Nadu, India.

3          Our partners in Sri Lanka - Institute of Social Development is engaged in relief efforts in the eastern province of Sri Lanka and are in urgent need for funds. We request you to kindly support their efforts. For details contact K.Yogeswary at

For questions on relief efforts in India and Sri Lanka or on contributions to the Delhi Tsunami Relief Committee and  Association for India's Development please contact Malavika Vartak at or Vishal Thakre at

We will continue to send you regular updates on relief and reconstruction  efforts and on ways in which you can contribute.

HIC-HLRN will continue to work with affected communities beyond immediate relief, and into the second stage where will seek to ensure that the human rights approach is adopted in all rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

We look forward to your support In solidarity Miloon Kothari, Priti Darooka, Malavika Vartak, Shivani Chaudhry, Vishal Thakre

South Asia Regional Programme (SARP)
Habitat International Coalition
Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN)

New Delhi 110 013
India web: hic-sarp.org