Relief Aid International is a non-governmental, non-denominational and non-political agency committed to providing relief whenever and wherever it is needed.

Relief Aid International is a humanitarian organization with its roots in the McMaster University community.  We consist of academics, staff and students within the McMaster community who have decades of independent humanitarian aid and peace-building experience.  Those independent resources have now been brought together to achieve our common goal of providing humanitarian assistance in politically difficult climates.  Our strategy is community-building at the grass roots level, combined with political intervention at a national level.  Our goals are Sustainability and Stability.

Background:                  

There is no question that the Tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004 was devastating to the communities in the basin of the Indian Ocean.  The lives lost were unimaginable.  Homes and livelihoods obliterated.  Those who survived the immediate disaster now are faced with trying to rebuild their lives under nearly impossible circumstances.  Outside aid is vital.  But the humanitarian aid now provided must be carefully considered in order to provide not only long term sustainability, (short-term relief has largely been taken care of) but to take account of delicate political situations so as not to exacerbate tensions.

One of the countries most severely affected by the Tsunami was Sri Lanka.  Within Sri Lanka the areas of greatest devastation are on the east shore and Galle.  The Dept. Of Census and Statistics indicates that the majority of Humanitarian Aid that has reached Sri Lanka has been distributed in the region of Galle.  But the political situation in Sri Lanka is such that the distribution of aid has been slow in reaching other areas - particularly Tamil areas.  The town of Kinniya is particularly vulnerable due to the fact that it is a primarily Tamil-Muslim community.  As such, Kinniya is neither strongly supported by the Singhalese government nor the LTTE.  For this reason, Relief Aid International (RAI) has elected to target Kinniya for our immediate support.

RAI has developed a 4-pronged approach to re-settlement and sustainability for the town of Kinniya that we believe will facilitate: housing and resettlement; training and education; transportation; employment; and healthcare.  These will be provided by:

1. A widows and children’s village consisting of 25 duplexed homes and a school/vocational-training centre alongside a major resettlement area.
2. The distribution of repaired, used bicycles from Canada and a bicycle maintenance and repair programme.
3.  The renewal of the fishing industry through on-site boat building and net making.
4.  Rotational health-centres.

RAI believes that the primary strategies employed by this project are transferable to other disaster locations for long-term rehabilitation.  These strategies are simply:  needs assessment; followed by structural renewal of housing, transportation, employment, training and healthcare.