Qatar Red Crescent Society establishes residential village in Sri Lanka

Doha: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has completed a project to establish a residential village for 800 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sri Lanka. 

At a total cost of $ 486,619, donated by a benevolent Qatari who requested anonymity, the new village is located in Riditenna, Valaichchenai, Eastern Province.  

It comprises 56 2-BHK housing units, each with a 250-litre water tank. Also, there is a mosque, a public school, a health unit, and two shops. An artesian water well was dug and equipped with a solar-powered pump and a 10,000-litre tank. 

Done in cooperation with Serendib Foundation for Relief and Development, the project provides a convenient environment for the populations that were displaced due to armed conflict. Now, they can return to their home villages after years of displacement.

In February 2018, a delegation from QRCS held the ground-breaking ceremony for the project. It was attended by the Minister of Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Mayor of Batticaloa, Head of Municipality, local community leaders, and the project’s manager. 

Under a public tender, the winning construction company was awarded the contract. To ensure more transparency, onsite supervisors were appointed, and weekly follow-up visits were made by QRCS personnel and the partners. 

The houses, the mosque, and the school were fully furnished, and the health unit has all the needed medical equipment. After the end of operation, the health facility will be handed over to the Government to ensure its sustainability. 

Sri Lanka suffered an armed conflict that displaced thousands of people to neighbouring Provinces, where they lived in makeshift shelters. As the conflict came to an end, they started returning home, just to find totally destroyed houses and public utilities. 

An integrated repatriation scheme was adopted by the Government to reconstruct the damaged areas, rehabilitate infrastructure, and support livelihoods.

Established in 1978, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is a humanitarian volunteering organisation that aims to assist and empower vulnerable individuals and communities without partiality or discrimination.

QRCS is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which consists of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 190 National Societies. QRCS is also a member of several GCC, Arab, and Islamic organisations, such as the Islamic Committee of International Crescent and the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organisation (ARCO). In this legally recognised capacity, QRCS has access to disaster and conflict zones, thus serving as an auxiliary to the State of Qatar in its humanitarian efforts — a role that distinguishes it from other local charities and NGOs.

QRCS operates both locally and internationally and has ongoing international relief and development projects in a number of countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. QRCS’s humanitarian actions include providing support in disaster preparedness, disaster response, risk reduction, and disaster recovery. To mitigate the impact of disasters and improve the livelihoods of affected populations, QRCS provides medical services, healthcare, and social development to local communities. It is also active at the humanitarian advocacy front. With the help of a vast network of trained, committed staff and volunteers, QRCS aspires to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilising the power of humanity.

QRCS works under the umbrella of the seven international humanitarian principles: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.