COLOMBO, 30 May 2005 — The Kingdom is to build 1,000 houses for the tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, according to a Saudi diplomat.

“The houses will be built in tsunami-hit areas such as Hambantota, Galle, Trincomalee, Amparai and Batticaloa on lands provided by the Lankan government,” Saudi Embassy Charge d’ Affaires Talaat Hamza Shera said here.

He said the project supervised by the mission will be implemented by the Saudi Charity Campaign for Relief for Tsunami Victims (SCCRTV).

Shera said the houses will be distributed to the most deserving of the displaced families irrespective of their religion. “These houses are meant for the poorest among the survivors who cannot dream of a home for themselves,” he added.

Shera indicated that the Saudi relief services will not be limited to these 1,000 houses, but will extend to the renovation of dilapidated hospitals and mosques.

The diplomat said the contract for the construction of these houses will be given to Sri Lankan companies and added that assistance from reputable Saudi companies will be sought if and when necessary.

He said a number of Saudi charitable organizations that have offices in Colombo have formed an umbrella organization under the chairmanship of the Saudi mission to continue relief work in the tsunami-affected areas. The organizations include the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), the Saudi Red Crescent Society (SRCS), the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, Shabab Club and the Saudi Fund For Development (SFD).

During the past two weeks, the mission received 46 container loads of relief materials for distribution among the tsunami victims in the island. The local office of the IIRO received 24 of those containers, while the rest were handled by the SRCS. The SRCS also distributed 15 ambulances and 60 wheelchairs to the hospitals in the tsunami ravaged districts.

Shera said the SFD will shortly commence building the bridge between Trincomalee and Kinniya at a cost of SR40 million.

“This is the fifth project to be funded by SFD in Sri Lanka,” he said. Last year, SFD released SR40 million to construct the National Neuro-Trauma Center in Colombo.