Cricketers appeal for eating utensils

The sight of tsunami victims in refugee camps on Sri Lanka's east coast using second-hand plastic bags as plates has prompted Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara to launch a personal appeal for donations of basic eating utensils. They will be distributed by the World Food Programme next week.

"Food aid and clean water is now starting to reach people in some of the devastated areas, but when we spoke to the victims of this terrible tragedy a common complaint was that they desperately needed plates and cups," said Jayawardene. "People cannot eat off the floor."

Sangakkara and Jayawardene, helped by their partners Yehali and Chris, have already negotiated a special deal from a Colombo supplier and have bought equipment for 1000 people. But many more people are in need, and donations from the public will be welcomed.

"The World Food Programme have kindly agreed to deliver the equipment with their food aid next week, and the more plates and cups that we can give them the better," said Sangakkara. "People have been giving generously and I hope they can help us in this small but important appeal."

Sangakkara and Jayawardene accompanied Murali on a three-night tour of the east coast, delivering approximately 100 tonnes of dahl, rice and sugar, and meeting with tsunami victims in temporary camps set up around Trincomalee and Batticaloa, two districts that were severely hit by giant waves.