How To Help The Victims Of The Sri Lanka Bombings

Nine bombings occurred in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing 290 people and injuring more than 500.

The bombings occurred in churches in Negomonbo, Batticaloa, and Colombo around 8:45am on Sunday. Bombings also occurred at a number of hotels including the Cinnamon Grand, Tropical Inn, Kingsbury, Shangri-La, and a housing complex in Dematagoda.

Twenty four suspects have been taken into custody, according to a police spokesperson. The attacks themselves appear to have been perpetrated by suicide bombers.

If you want to help, there are a number of ways to do so. Here are a few we’ve found:

Sri Lanka Red Cross

The Red Cross is suggesting people reach out to the Sri Lanka Red Cross as well as the Asia Pacific Office of the International Federation of Red Cross for updates.

Those two groups are working with the group in Sri Lanka and are able to accept donations. If you’re in the area, the group has also organised a blood drive.

Worth noting: The Red Cross has a checkered past when it comes to disaster donations, but looks to be your primary option for donating right now.

GoFundMe

A quick search on GoFundMe will bring up a decent number of campaigns from people in Sri Lanka looking for help.

It’s worth noting that the campaigns haven’t been verified, so while they might be legit, they unfortunately also might not be.

(We’ve got tips on vetting GoFundMes here.)

KindHeartedSriLankans

The Instagram group has created a medical camp in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka and is asking for donations through GoFundMe.

View this post on Instagram

Being kind to someone can literally save their life. You never know exactly what someone is going through at any given moment. ???? People maybe contemplating something horrible. They maybe at the lowest of lows in their life. But all it takes is one little act of kindness to make a difference ???? Maybe a smile and a nod of the head. Maybe a compliment not expected. All of a sudden someone who felt lower than low is now feeling good again, and it’s all because of you and your kindness ????❤️ A big thank you to everyone who came forward to support this family. Have a great week ahead ???????? Blessings #Kindheartedlankans #Kindnessmatters #Love #Hope #Future #Humanity #Smiles #Srilanka #Poverty #Kindness #BeKind

A post shared by Kind Hearted Lankans (@kindheartedlankans) on Apr 11, 2019 at 11:37pm PDT

The GoFundMe campaign hasn’t been verified, but its connection to the group’s Twitter account gives it a bit of legitimacy. In addition to cash, the group is accepting donations of medicine.

You can contact the charity directly through its webpage with information about any goods you’d like to donate. You can also make cash donations directly on the group’s website, although the funds there cannot be designated specifically to Sri Lanka.

We’re also only in first 48 hours after the bombings right now, so more opportunities will likely pop up. If you have a charitable organisation you particularly enjoy working with, they may have something show up soon as well.