The Zakat Foundation of America

Continuous heavy rains that have drenched Sri Lanka since late December are now causing severe floods and landslides in the East and North Central provinces of the country. The severe flooding has affected nearly one million people. High water levels have ruined crops, contaminated wells and reservoirs, and cut off many towns and villages from helpful resources.

Zakat Foundation of America (ZF) responded to the flooding by providing immediate assistance to vulnerable Muslim communities on the East Coast of Sri Lanka. The floods have affected approximately 50,000 families in the country's Eastern Province. The people there have been undergoing severe hardships due to the unusually heavy rain. These people had already suffered from the tsunami disaster of 2004 and had just begun to rebuild their lives. The new flooding has been a major setback.

ZF and its local partner in Sri Lanka are supporting this community with providing needed food and safe drinking water. They have also helped to provide water pumps to help victims struggling to remove water from their water-inundated homes. Approximately 4,110 homes have been partially damaged in the flood, while 932 houses have been completely destroyed.

The flood victims of Sri Lanka need a lot of assistance to recover from the devastation caused, which is considered to be the heaviest rainfall to hit the area in many decades. There is looming danger of waterborne diseases striking the community. There is also concern about the effects the floods will have on both short and long-term food security. ZF is committed to helping the people of Sri Lanka every step of the way and asks donors to be generous in the support for their brothers and sisters who are struggling with this catastrophe.

View more photos of the ZF team in action.