ALMOST a month after the tsunami killed more than 220,000 people there is a desperate need for volunteers to help to rebuild the areas affected, one of Britain’s leading charities said yesterday.

VSO has started an urgent campaign to find 200 recruits willing to spend one to two years working on long-term development projects in the region.

Huge numbers of humanitarian workers on short-term contracts are already in the region dealing with the emergency and the recruitment priority is now shifting towards longer-term placements.

VSO has been sending volunteers overseas for almost 50 years. It finds roles for a range of professionals, including small business advisors and teachers.

Like many agencies it was overwhelmed with offers of help in the aftermath of the tsunami, but, as the initial sense of shock that drove many to volunteer wears off, VSO is concerned that the region’s long-term development will suffer.

Mark Goldring, VSO’s chief executive, said: “If you look ahead to the long-term needs of the area then there’s a real shortage of people with the required skills.”

He added there was also a risk that the continuing focus on the countries affected by the tsunami would divert attention from equally needy parts of the world.

Other relief organisations have echoed the hope that the surge in applications after the tsunami would help them to provide better services in the most deprived parts of the world.

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