Communities of resilience, building a brighter future together.

On 26th December 2004, the “Boxing Day” or Asian Tsunami was triggered by a 9.3 magnitude earthquake in the Indian ocean, the most powerful earthquake of the 21st century, the impact of which rocked the world and devasted communities across multiple coastlines killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries, most severely Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. Today, we pay tribute to those who lost their lives and the resilience of those who survived.

One of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, it marked a major milestone for many humanitarian organisations including Muslim Aid as the world scrambled to respond to the scale of the destruction and answer the call of the hundreds of thousands of survivors whose lives were ravaged by the Tsunami. The global response and learning derived from it would go on to change how the world responded to future major emergencies. Muslim Aid’s emergency response teams were on the ground in Sri Lanka, Somalia and Indonesia within 48 hours, and our response in these countries led to a long-term presence in those communities which lives on to this day.

The Sri Lanka Peace Village

In Sri Lanka alone, over 30,000 lives were lost. At the time, the country was in a decisive phase amid a three-decade long civil war, making the devastation, as severe as it was, more unbearable for those already facing loss, fatigued, and lacking hope given their dire circumstances. Realizing the complexity of the situation and the heightened humanitarian needs of affected families, Muslim Aid, responded with a visionary and ambitious cross-community project which enhanced community cooperation and cohesion. With the launch of the “Peace Village” initiative, we assisted two communities: one that was affected by the Tsunami in the coastal area of Kattankudy and another affected by war, further in-land, who, together, were the beneficiaries of a 100-unit housing scheme situated in Ollikulam.

In the spirit of communities coming together, Muslim Aid was able to collaborate with multiple local organisations to build this Peace Village, including land donations by a local community-based organisation called The Centre for Development and Rehabilitation (CDR) and the temple administration of Thalankudah.

Amidst an intensifying civil war and deepening political and economic national crises which eroded trust and fueled suspicions within and between communities to unimaginable levels, Muslim Aid was able to work with local partners, religious and civil leaders to successfully complete the project and create a safer environment to live in for all those affected. A once empty stretch of white sand flourished into a vibrant village.

As the conflict escalated, Muslim Aid’s emergency team swung into action with the support of local Tamil and Muslim volunteer youth and engaged in relief activities. The Peace village was used as a center to house thousands of IDPs who were provided with food, water, medicine and shelter.

We also worked with and supported local interfaith leaders and community leaders, invoking shared values across spiritual traditions, to form a committee of conscience in the area. The venture fostered the spirit of collaboration for mutual benefit creating an important community example of peace and harmony.

The Peace village has built strong bonds amongst the communities and now we can see more settlements in the area highlighting the significance and impact of the intervention Muslim Aid implemented and enabled.

Sri Lanka has seen many changes in the last 20 years: the end of the war, multiple natural disasters, cross-community tensions, economic crisis and more. It has also seen renewed hope flower, and these communities have carried that strength of spirit on and continued to show resilience throughout. They came together to build a better future for themselves, and today we not only commemorate all that they and others across the country lost and suffered as a result of the Tsunami, but also celebrate all that they have built since.

Reflecting on our intervention 20 years on as we enter our 40th year since the establishment of Muslim Aid, we are proud to have contributed to this resilient people through not only the construction of the Peace village supported by Oxfam UK and local agencies, but also the ongoing legacy of our work together which has benefited multiple communities across Sri Lanka. The establishment of our Country Office and operations as a result of our initial Tsunami response was part of a vision demonstrating our commitment to a sustainable long-term presence in the country to support all those in need. A vision and legacy we continue to build on today, in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and across the region.

You can find out more about our work in Sri Lanka today and support our teams to bring sustainable change to local communities by clicking here.