A tsunami in on December 26, 2004, devastated most of Sri Lanka’s coastal towns situated in the north, east and south of country and killed an estimated 30,000 people as the waves struck the country with no warning mechanism in place.

"Most of our post tsunami work is completed or near to completion," Tissa Abeywickrama who chairs a technical support unit of the Sri Lanka Red Cross told reporters.

He was speaking at the launch of a book on their activities titled Rebuilding Communities with Dedication and Professionalism.

The Red Cross had spent 122 million dollars on houses, 39 million dollars to build and upgrade 80 healthcare centres, 60 million dollars on water supply and drainage projects.

In addition the society had 1.5 million dollars to construct 10 schools,

The Red Cross has been in Sri Lanka since 1936 when it opened as a branch of the British Red Cross, but was later renamed as Sri Lanka Red Cross Society in 1972.

Sri Lanka Red Cross says it has a membership of 100,000 with 6,500 active volunteers.