LOCATION

Background

District has undergone more than two decades of conflict, with internal displacement, damages to homes and infrastructure, loss of livelihoods, and high numbers of single-headed households already being major concerns prior to the tsunami. For example, prior to the tsunami in 2004, there were 2,337 women who lost their husbands through various disturbances. The tsunami has greatly exacerbated these problems.

Effects of the Tsunami

The tsunami of Sunday, December 26, 2004, was caused by an earthquake in the region north of Sumatra, Indonesia, in the Indian Ocean and measured 9.0 on the Richter scale. The quake occurred at 6:58 am (Sri Lanka time) and the tidal waves reached the east coast of Sri Lanka at 8:57am. As Ampara District is a predominantly coastal region, it was severely damaged, with great loss of life. Eleven out of twenty divisions were affected, with the following impacts:

• Affected persons:                   193,000
• Affected families:                  38,000
• Deaths:                                   10,436
• Total estimated damages:     $565.7 million

Reconstruction priorities are the provision of housing, livelihood support, and infrastructure rebuilding.

Geography

Ampara District is a 4,431 sq. km. region located in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. This predominantly low-lying coastal region is characterized by its sandy beaches and lagoons, and is in the country's dry zone. Primary land use is as follows:

People

Ampara District's population of 629,664 is about 81% rural and fairly evenly distributed by sex (50.36% male - 49.64% female). The population density in the district is about 142 people per square mile, but coastal areas in the north are very densely populated, with over 1,501 people per square mile in the Kalmunai area. The literacy rate is around 76% and the percentage of population by age group is as follows:

• under 10 - 19.60%
• 10-24 - 37.12%
• 25-44 - 22.92%
• 45-64 - 14.45%
• over 64 - 5.91%

Ampara District is multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multicultural in nature. In addition to the large numbers of Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, and Muslims, there are also Burghers, Malays, Indian Tamils, Chetties, and Bharathas. The religious groups are in the area shown below.

Source: District Planning Secretariat - Ampara (2004)

City of Kalmunai.

Kalmunai municipality is the hardest tsunami-hit area in Sri Lanka, which includes Kalmunai Tamil Divisional Secretariats, Kalmunai Muslim Divisional Secretariats, and Sainthamaruthu Divisional Secretariats, is situated 250Km east of Colombo in Ampara district on the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka. It has approximately 67 square Kilometer of land area and is stretching over 10 km along the coast.

Source: District Planning Secretariat - Ampara (2004)