Colombo, Sri Lanka – Political and Racist complications have delayed the handover of a 500-house project in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, constructed with financial assistance from Saudi Arabia to support victims of the devastating 2004 tsunami. Over a decade since its completion, the housing project remains unoccupied, drawing criticism from local and international stakeholders.
Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Sri Lanka His Excellency Khalid Mahmud Al Qahtani recently urged the Sri Lankan government to expedite the transfer of the houses to the intended beneficiaries, during a meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath last week.
The December 2004 tsunami claimed over 30,000 lives in Sri Lanka and left an additional 5,000 people missing. In response to the humanitarian crisis, Saudi Arabia, through the Saudi Charity Fund, pledged substantial aid, constructing a township in Nuraicholai in Akkaraipattu with 500 housing units.
The SR 420 million ($112 million) project included not only houses but also comprehensive infrastructure, such as schools for boys and girls, a playground, a stadium, a shopping complex, and a mosque, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to long-term community development.
The completed houses were handed over to then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2011 for distribution. However, legal challenges ensued when a court ordered that the houses be distributed proportionally among Sri Lanka’s ethnic groups, citing the country’s Majority-Buddhist population. This directive conflicted with the original plan, which prioritized 325 Muslim families who bore the brunt of the disaster, alongside Sinhalese and Tamil families for the remaining units.
Subsequent governments, including that of President Maithripala Sirisena, attempted to resolve the matter, instructing officials to adhere to the original beneficiary plan. However, political wrangling and logistical challenges have left the housing complex abandoned and overgrown with vegetation.
