Photos from the work were doing in Sri Lanka
As of February 3rd, 2011 Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Center (DMC) said
that three people have died and over 43,000 people are affected by the
heavy rains and floods experienced the North, North Central, and Eastern
Provinces.
The DMC reported that 43,738 people from 11,852 families have been
affected by the floods and land slides. Of them, 10,083 displaced people
have been given temporary shelter at 51 welfare centers. Most of the flood
affected are in Vavuniya and Ampara districts.
The rains have completely destroyed 702 houses while another 3,310 have
been partially damaged and schools have been closed down in these areas.
According to the UN, agricultural production is the main source of
livelihood in the affected area and this season’s rice harvest has been
badly damaged, leading to increased food insecurity. The World Food
Programme (WFP) estimates about 500,000 residents are food-insecure.
In the worst affected districts of Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee in
Eastern Province, heavy rains between 8 and 12 January left more than
101,171 hectares of paddy fields damaged, of which more than 81,000ha
suffered moderate to severe damage, initial estimates suggest.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates a loss of about
450,000 tons or US$120 million.
But rice farmers are not the only ones reeling; other small crops and
livestock farms have suffered losses, though estimates have yet to be
finalized.
A few days ago the water had been receding, alleviating the stress on dams
and reservoirs inland, but due to the change in weather patterns and the
continued rain in most areas, the dams have had to be opened and the water
released. With the water being released from the dams in different parts
of the eastern region, the water has been flowing through villages,
destroying homes and infrastructure. People are being forcibly evacuated
from these villages and placed in temporary housing shelters organised by
the Sri Lankan government and administered by the Sri Lankan Army.
Access to the towns of Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa including some
others have been cut off due to the cease of public transportation
(railway, buses). In some areas it has been raining nonstop since early
December.
