Fifty three year old Lily Nona Galmangodaguruge lost her daughter, grand daughter, mother and sister in law last year this day She says that she is not blaming the sea for what has happened, instead she is blessing the sea. More Pictures: humanityashore-rathgama.blogspot.com/

"When the tsunami hit I ran to the church and begged for the life of my son,"

Tsunami sufferers question faith: Yet this year the throngs are absent. Many thousands are too afraid to travel to this tsunami-affected area, scared off by frenzied rumours that another disaster is about to beset the shores. Perhaps others have cause to question their faith: BBC

"Every day, we were getting 30 to 40 e-mails from Burghers living abroad offering help"

"Every day, we were getting 30 to 40 e-mails from Burghers living abroad offering help. Suddenly, we feel that we are a bigger community," says Sunny Ockersz, president of the Burgher union in Batticaloa. Earlier, the community was divided as Burghers in Batticaloa, Dutch Burghers and the "affluent" English-speaking Burghers in Colombo, BBC

"It was like someone had dropped an atomic bomb on Sri Lanka's coastline."

During my three decades in the humanitarian field, I have seen war, famine, and natural disaster wreack unimaginable suffering on innocent civilians on a massive scale. But I had never seen such total destruction before in my life. It was like someone had dropped an atomic bomb on Sri Lanka's coastline: - David Crawford Oxfam Country Programme Manager - Sri Lanka; BBC

"Our needs are greater."

The Tamil Tigers argue that the area under their control has received almost no government aid and is neglected when compared to the Sinhala-dominated south. "We are happy with the support we are getting from the aid agencies, but not with the government's efforts," Tamil Tiger spokesman Daya Master says. "This is an area which has suffered heavily because of the war and now with the tsunami. So our needs are greater." : BBC

"There is no-one at home to go back to."

Antony had been married for 17 years and still struggles to come to terms with his loss. "My wife used to wait for me every day with a cup of tea when I would come in from the sea," he says, his eyes brimming with tears. Observers say the trauma of losing their wives has left a deep psychological scar on these men, and many of them are quite simply unable to cope. "The question of family formation has been deeply affected. In these social set ups, it is the woman who runs the family as a unit," says Professor Sivathambi, a Tamil scholar at Colombo University: Loss of women haunts fishermen: BBC Dilemma of the disproportionately high percentage tsunami widowers: "How do we face the future?"

"We are pleasantly surprised and greatly relieved that they have done so"

"Given the LTTE inflexibility on the Interim Self - Government issue few expected the tigers to agree on a watered down version of what the organization originally demanded", Western diplomatic circles told "TamilWeek". "We are pleasantly surprised and greatly relieved that they have done so" the sources added.

"Not seen any promissed foreign government money yet.."

The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, has told the BBC that his country has not yet received any of the money promised by governments - although people all over the world had been generous in their contributions: BBC

"Things don't look very good for Sri Lanka at the present moment."

"Things don't look very good for Sri Lanka at the present moment." Rohan Edrisinha, a law professor at the University of Colombo and director of the Centre of Policy Alternatives said. Bob Rae, president of the Forum of Federations, which sponsored Edrisinha's talks, said one of the barriers delaying a federal solution to the conflict was LTTE's difficulty in transforming itself from a guerrilla operation to a political party.

"Wife plays an important role in the life of fisheries workers..",

A High percentage of tsunami deaths were among children and women, leaving behind widowers such as Anthony Benedict of Mullaitivu. Photo by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai "The wife plays an important role in the life of fisheries workers...she makes all the endeavors to sell that day's catch that were brought ashore. In the meantime she takes care of all the household chores as well..Its very appalling to see so many widowers in the fishing communities," - Professor K. Sivathamby, in Thinakkural