On a bleak morning in the summer of 2006, the Mutur Muslims were forced to march from their own homeland with nothing more than the clothing on their backs. Over 75,000 families were forced to evacuate the violence in Sri Lanka at the peril of their own survival and became refugees in the area of Kantalee. The survivors stayed in schools, Mosques, slept on the ground under trees and along the roadside.
The LTTE area of Sampur was recaptured by Sri Lankan forces and the Mutur Muslims have been asked to resettle in Mutur. About 75% of the families were urged in returning to their own homes but this was not an easy journey. Many are still in fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. More still have lost their entire livelihoods as schools, hospitals and homes have been severely damaged.
Zakat Foundation Response to the Need
Local and foreign social service organizations supplied huts and cooked food but the masses of people overwhelmed this small area. Over time, people were able to settle into their own camps and cook food for themselves. We distributed supplies to provide food that people could prepare on their own. We felt it necessary to distribute specially packaged food for the families with children and elderly people rather than giving the same type of cooked food for everyone.
During the period of exile, The Zakat Foundation of America provided food distribution which included special meals for children and elderly persons to over 3,000 people in the camps. These families were distributed across three different refugee camps in Kantalee, Sri Lanka. Food packets consisted of powdered milk, canned fish, enriched biscuits, rice, sugar, dhal (similar to lentils) and instant noodles. All items were purchased locally as is traditional with The Zakat Foundation to reduce expenses in transportation and to provide an extra boost to the local economy. As in many other cases, The Zakat Foundation was able to provide the exact measure of aid needed at the time of greatest need. Insh’Allah, the ongoing struggle of the Sri Lankan Muslims will subside; we ask all our friends and donors to keep making du’a that the Muslims will be able to live in peace with the others in the area. Please donate to provide food packages to Sri Lanka as many families are still in serious poverty after having lost homes and livelihoods in this attack.
