Danielle Vella

Sri Lanka, women survivors of tsunami victims of abuses

Government and rebels turn tsunami aid to their own benefit

Police pick up illegal immigrants in refugee camps to deport them. Rumours accuse them of looting damaged hotels. The government does not plan helping them.

Government and Ngo provide help only to fisherman but they stay afar from dalits, priest says. Catholic church efforts to overcome survivors "agony".

Church has set up programmes geared towards children to help them cope with tsunami-related issues. A spirit of collaboration and unity after years of civil strife is starting to be felt.

Bishop of Mannar promoted an aid campaign in an area marked by civil war and prostrated by tsunami. Many hopeless tried to suicide.

Fr Sunil de Silva, secretary to the archbishop of Colombo, speaks about how Catholics and Buddhists, national political leaders and Tamil rebels, are uniting to rebuild the country. Today is a day of national mourning for the more than 25,000 people who were killed by the tsunami.

In some areas international aid has not yet arrived. Peoples are sheltered in schools, churches, temples and rely on local humanitarian organizations for water, food, clothes.