HI implemented its first project in Sri Lanka almost thirty years ago, focusing on training rehabilitation professionals in Colombo and Jaffna.
Following the election of the coalition government in 2015 and the renewed political objective of addressing structural inequalities and national reconciliation, which was widely supported by the international community, HI shifted its interventions to focus on reconciliation issues, including transitional justice and reducing inequalities through inclusive economic development programmes.
At the same time, HI began to respond to small and medium scale natural disasters (floods and droughts) through early recovery programming. Rehabilitation activities resumed in 2017 on a very small scale, focusing only on clubfoot treatment, thanks to the interest of Miracle Feet.