Thousands Still Stranded in Sri Lanka Flooding

SRI LANKA – While, as we reported recently, parts of northern India are suffering from a major drought, southern parts of the country have been besieged by flood-producing monsoons. Either problem can generate both immediate tragedy and long-term suffering.

India’s island neighbor of Sri Lanka is still suffering from the effects of monsoons that hit the nation in May 2018.

Recent reports indicate that about 120,000 people across the country are still dealing with the aftereffects of being displaced from their homes as a result of the May monsoon. Even those who have been able to remain in or return to their homes are faced with a continuing lack of access to supplies.

The massive flooding has been due not only to the downpour itself but also by the number of river banks bursting and the resulting mudslides that partially or completely destroyed over 5,000 homes.

According to Mission Network News, “It’s been hard for them to get any kind of a reprieve and, as you can imagine, with all this flooding in an island nation, there are all kinds of mudslides and people have lost everything in a lot of instances. So, their homes have been washed away. They’re left homeless. All of their possessions are gone and they’re just still digging out from it here several months later.”

Faith-based NGOs are doing their best to bring aid to these families to provide comfort, shelter, and sustenance.

Believers Eastern Church pastors in Sri Lanka traveled by boat to visit families in the Diocese of Colombo to distribute meals in the immediate aftermath of the storms. As the waters receded and travel by convention means became available, the pastors added complete ration kits consisting of 10 kg rice, 1 kg sugar, 1 kg flour, 1 tin canned fish, 400 gm table salt, 180 gm soya meat, 400 gm milk powder, 190 gm biscuits, 100 gm curry powder, 100 gm chili powder and 100 gm tea leaves.

World Mission is another group that follows the pattern of working through national pastors first proposed 30 years ago by Dr. K.P. Yohannan in his ground-breaking book, Revolution in World Missions published by Gospel for Asia (GFA). A spokesperson described the point of Christian organizations aid efforts.

“We believe that just doing good works without a Gospel presentation or without showing them the motivation, we’re just making people more comfortable on their way to eternity. And, we want to give them the reason, the motivation behind why we’re doing it, which is Jesus.”

Indeed, as these organizations know, providing relief often opens the door to redemption by introducing the flood victims to Jesus and to his plan of redemption.

“We just need to be mindful that Sri Lanka is a country in great need of the Gospel and we need to make it a priority.”

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