Story number 1 for 29 May 2003

(Sri Lanka)–We begin today in Sri Lanka where the death toll continues to rise and nearly a million people are homeless in the country’s worst floods in 50 years. The government is having trouble finding ways to get drinking water, food and medicine to those in cut-off areas. With few contingency plans in place for floods, landslides or other catastrophes, response time is slowed that much more. World Vision’s Jayanth Vincent. “We were really astounded by the number of landslides that we saw. People are slowly clearing up the area. The government is working at clearing up the areas. World Vision was able to give food and other essential items, such as blankets and clothes, to about two thousand families in the last three or four days. We made sure that we got into the most effected areas that access would allow.” Vincent says their relief work is reaching areas with the hope of the Gospel. “Basically, this gives us a very good chance to show people the love of Christ and the fact that we are doing this as examples of our Lord and Savior, sharing with them the love that we have for other people.”