Sri Lanka: Floods - OCHA-01: 31-Oct-06
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Sri Lanka: Floods
31 October 2006
This situation report is based on information received from the OCHA
Office in Sri Lanka.
Situation
1. As a result of the inter-monsoon rains combined with storms several
areas of Sri Lanka have flooded. The affected districts are Colombo,
Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Puttlam, Ratnapura, Badulla, Kegalle
and Kurunegala of which Gampaha district is the most affected. As of 30
October, the Disaster Management Center reported that 23 people had been
killed, two had been injured and about 331,000 people had been affected.
National and International Response
2. Canals have been dredged in the districts Colombo and the Disaster
Management Centre (DMC) has dispatched officers from its National
Operation Centre to the Divisional Secretary's Office in order to
arrange further cleaning of canals. The government has sent several
boats to evacuate people in some of the affected districts. In Gampaha,
displaced people have been accommodated in 13 temporary accommodation
centres or in their friends or families houses.
3. The DMC has contacted all Divisional Secretaries and sent a
check-list to assess damage. The DMC, supported by UNDP, will release a
map on damage assessment when the information will be available. Sri
Lanka Red Cross (SRC) dispatched Red Cross National Disaster Assessment
Teams to Gampaha and Puttalam and is assisting coordinating efforts in
the districts.
4. The SRC has allocated LKR 1 million (approximately USD 9814) for
cooked food distribution and has also sent 28,000 relief items such as
water jerry cans, hygiene kits, baby parcels, clothes, mosquito nets and
other household items. The American Red Cross has released USD 50,000 to
support relief efforts.
5. IOM supported the government office in Kalutara district by providing
earth moving equipment to clean the drainage systems and to re-route
excess water into the sea. IOM also provided cooked meals and is
conducting assessments with the government agency in the district.
6. The following is the table of assistance provided to each district:
|--------+--------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|District| Agency | Assistance Provided |
|--------+--------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|Gampaha |Sri Lanka Red Cross |- LKR 577,200 disbursed for cooked food and |
| | |canal cleaning using backhoe machines |
| | | |
| |Save the Children | |
| |in Sri Lanka (SCiSL)|- National Disaster Assessment Team was |
| | |dispatched on 29 October |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |- Rapid Assessment of the situation on 29 |
| | |October. As an initial response, SCiSL made |
| | |arrangements to provide 2,500 children with |
| | |stationery and play material, supplementary food|
| | |items and clothes, and their families with |
| | |plastic mats, bed sheets, gloves for cleaning, |
| | |scrub brushes, plates, cups and plastic buckets.|
|--------+--------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|Colombo |Sri Lanka Red Cross |- LKR 180,000 disbursed for provision of cooked |
| | |food |
| | | |
| | |- Distribution of 12,650 NFRIs is in progress |
|--------+--------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|Kalutara|IOM |- Provided earth moving equipment to clean |
| | |drainage systems and re-route excess water |
| | | |
| | |- Cooked meals provided to trapped people |
| |Red Cross | |
| | |- LKR 96,750 disbursed for cooked food |
|--------+--------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|Puttlam |Red Cross |- LKR 250,000 worth of cooked meals have being |
| | |provided |
| | | |
| | |- National Disaster Assessment Team was |
| |Save the Children |dispatched on 28 October |
| |in Sri Lanka | |
| | |- Oxfam will be able to provide the service of a|
| | |Gully Sucker (4000L) for couple of weeks. |
|--------+--------------------+------------------------------------------------|
8. The UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Team has been
mobilized to review needs and response. OCHA is coordinating the Team
and remains in close contact with the UN RC office and will provide
further information as it becomes available. OCHA Sri Lanka also
released a map of affected people (Please see attached map) This
situation report, together with additional information on other ongoing
emergencies, is also available on http://www.reliefweb.int.
Tel.: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org
In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10
Desk Officers:
GVA - Ms. Paola Emerson, direct Tel. +41-22-917 1613
GVA - Mr. Masaaki Nakagawa, direct Tel. +41-22-917 4032
NYC - Mr. Wojtek Wilk, direct Tel. +1-917-367 9748
Press contact:
GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. + 1-917 367 5126
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Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
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Center for International web: www.cidi.org
Disaster Information listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
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