Last BMS Grant for Sri Lanka's Tsunami Recovery

Nearly three years after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami brought death and destruction to the Sri Lankan coast, BMS World Mission has given out the final relief grant to its partners helping in the country's recovery process.

Just as the first BMS grant for tsunami relief was given to the Farms Lanka charity on 29 December 2004, the final grant of £11,000 will go to the same charity and drains the last of BMS' £1.6m tsunami fund.

The grant will provide 30 families with timber, bricks and metal sheeting for the construction of new homes, meaning they can finally leave the refugee camps.

Since the first Farms Lanka grant nearly three years ago, BMS partners in Sri Lanka have received a total of 34 grants, ranging from £1,000 to £190,000, to assist them in their contributions to the immediate, medium and long-term relief efforts.

Farms Lanka, bolstered by two early BMS grants, was immediately on hand after the tsunami struck. A further four BMS grants helped the charity to continue with rehabilitation and reconstruction projects.

Forty-seven per cent of the total amount of BMS tsunami aid went to Sri Lanka, while India received 25 per cent, Indonesia 19 per cent and Thailand nine per cent.

BMS Manager for Mission Partnerships, David McLellan, called the level of giving to the BMS tsunami appeal "inspirational".

"Thanks to the giving of British Christians, BMS has once again been able to take a long-term approach to disaster relief," he said. "This is by no means the end of BMS relief work in these countries, just the final instalment of tsunami-appeal funds."

McLellan said that BMS would continue to respond to disasters in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, in consultation with local partners and guided by their needs.