Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and Muslim Aid Sri Lanka (MASL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a programme that will support the victims of the Easter Sunday Attacks. The MOU was signed by the Director General of SLRCS – Dr. Mahesh Gunasekera and Country Director of Muslim Aid Sri Lanka – Mr. Faizer Khan. The main aim of this intervention is to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims through Livelihood support, Educational scholarships for affected students, Medical support and Psycho-social care.

On Sunday the 21st of April 2019, Sri Lanka witnessed one of its darkest days in history. Six explosions ripped through the three churches and three luxury hotels in the country – namely Katuwapitiya Church, Kochikade Church, Church in Batticaloa, Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, Cinnamon Grand hotel & the Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo. The bombings were a result of a heinous suicide attack – which was later revealed to have been carried out by a radical islamist terrorist group who carried out coordinated suicide bombings. The attack took the lives of 321 people & injured over 500.

MASL will work through this partnership with the Gampaha Branch of Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to reach the victims of this violence in Katuwapitiya, Negombo. The project, funded by Muslim Aid USA, will channel its assistance to meet the medium and longer-term needs of the victimized families. The project will take a holistic approach in assisting our beneficiaries in that not only the material benefits will be provided to regain their lives, but it will also cater to their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. The project is a targeted plan of response for these families and intends to bring the necessary assistance to 100 such families

There are many children who lost their parents or families who lost their breadwinners. Therefore, this relief project has encompassed both the provision of educational assistance by way of scholarships and livelihood assistance through the facilitation of self-employment, to alleviate their suffering. Both MASL & the SLRCS will also make use of this opportunity to develop social cohesion among different ethnic communities in the area, through the strengthening of interfaith initiatives – since the long run, both organizations plan to work towards peace building and coexistence among communities in Sri Lanka.