Ten months on: qualitative assessment of psychosocial issues in northern Sri Lanka following the tsunami

The tsunami which affected South Asia on 26 December 2004 caused over 41 000 deaths in Sri Lanka, representing 0.2% of the total population, and displaced over 880 000 people from their homes and livelihoods (World Health Organization, 2004). Kilinochchi, Jaffna and Mullativu districts in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka were affected by the tsunami and, as of April 2005, in the whole province, 6200 people had lost their lives, 961 were still missing, 19 618 were still housed in welfare centres and 45 548 were housed with relatives and friends (Government of Sri Lanka, 2005).