Sri Lanka
Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka has been renowned for centuries for its spices and precious stones. It gained independence in 1948 after colonial rule by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. The majority of the population are Buddhist, though Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are also practised. Conflict between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamils, the largest minority group, is ongoing. Sinhalese is the official language.
Sri Lanka was one of the countries worst affected by the tsunami on Boxing Day 2004, with more than 30,000 killed and over 216,000 families displaced within the region. Since the disaster, Plan Sri Lanka has continued to assist communities with long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Plan continues to help re-house homeless families, get children back to school, assist families in finding new ways of making a living and provide counselling and support to many, children especially, who are still severely traumatised. If you would like more information on Plan's post-tsunami work, please contact us.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in Sri Lanka
- Nearly 30% of children suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition
- Around 15% of children do not enrol in secondary school
- Nearly a quarter of the population do not have access to an adequate water source
- 50% of the population live on less than $2 a day
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