Sri Lanka: Floods - OCHA-01: 27-Dec-07
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Sri Lanka: Batticaloa Flood
27 December 2007
Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
This situation report is based on information received from OCHA Sri
Lanka, Divisional Secretaries (DS) through the Disaster Management
Centre in the Government Agent's Office of Batticaloa. Additional
information was received directly from UN and NGO agencies working in
Batticaloa.
I. SITUATION
1. Heavy rains from 16 ? 24 December 2007 resulted in progressively
large numbers of affected and displaced people. During the first two
days of the rains, the main affected areas were limited to four
Divisions in the central region of the Batticaloa District (Koralai
pattu and Eravur pattu), resulting in the displacement of 110 families
(375 individuals) to a nearby school. In addition, 474
conflict-affected internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Mavadivembu
camp were affected. By 20 December, additional Divisions (Kiran,
Manmunai, Chenkalady, Kattankudy, Vavunatheevu, Vaazhaichcheanai and
Vaakarai) experienced flooding, swelling the numbers of affected to
15,554 people.
2. Continued heavy rains from 23 ? 24 December caused a significant
increase in affected Divisions, which spread from the northern tip of
Batticaloa District down to most of the District's coastline. The
population of the affected districts totalled some 250,000, which
included more than 40,255 displaced in 37 welfare centres and schools.
A break in the rains after 24 December resulted in the return of the
majority of families, with only 252 individuals remaining displaced by
27 December.
3. Road travel was also disrupted during the peak of the flooding. Two
kilometres of the A11 road from Batticaloa to Colombo near Mannampitiya
was impassable from 22 - 24 December and train services were also
interrupted. Travel between Batticaloa and Trincomalee was disrupted due
to a damaged bridge on the A15 from 20 December.
4. An overview of the flood trend is reflected in the OCHA map which
indicates an improvement in the previously volatile situation, and
though new rainfall could trigger more floods and new displacement.
II. NATIONAL RESPONSE
5. Divisional Secretaries (DS) in flood-affected Divisions provided
statistics to the District Authorities' Disaster Management Centre
(within the office of the Government Agent (GA)) on the number of
families affected and or displaced by the flooding in the district, as
per the following chart:
6. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights visited the
District on 24 and 25 December, holding discussions with relevant
government authorities to assess the situation, including the
longer-term problem of irrigation and drainage.
7. The GA indicated that the Government would cover the main food needs
and requested support from Batticaloa-based agencies to address urgent
non-food relief items.
8. The Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services allocated
10 million rupees for the Batticaloa district, which is to be divided
between the affected divisions. These resources are to cover the
provision of hot meals during 3 days of displacement as well as ? to the
extent possible - dry rations for affected families.
III. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
9. In addition to the Government-provided food assistance, Oxfam
Australia provided food for 3 days for 2,169 families in Kiran and
Manmunai North DS divisions, World Vision provided 1 week dry rations to
100 families in Chenkalady DS division and the Sri Lankan Red Cross
Society (SLRCS) provided cooked meals for nearly 1,600 families for up
to 3 days in Chenkalady division and Kattankudy division.
10. NRC provided plastic sheets for conflict affected IDPs in the
Kaluwankerny and Savukkady camps, which were flooded for 3 days, while
UNHCR/UNOPS distributed 117 plastic sheets for conflict affected IDPs in
Palacholai IDPs camp.
11. UNICEF provided 1000 mats and bed sheets for the families affected
in Vaharai Division, as well as support to the local Water Authorities
on the operation costs of tankered water. SLRCS distributed hygiene
kits, baby hygiene kits, bed sheets, sarongs and sarees for 194 families
in Chenkalady Division.
12. On 27 December, OCHA conducted a rapid assessment of the situation
of people in displaced sites of Sittandy 1, 2, 3 and 4 Grama Niladari
(GN boundary) divisions as well as return areas of Sittandy 1 and
Sittandy 4 GN divisions. Although most families had returned to their
homes, several areas of concern were noted, including contaminated
wells, loss of household goods and health concerns associated with
water-borne diseases and snakebites. Longer-term food subsistence was
also highlighted as a concern, as many of the affected were no longer
able to cultivate lands, mainly due to security issues (both related to
presence of armed groups and mines). Longer term drainage / irrigation
issues were also highlighted.
13. The OCHA offices in Batticaloa and Colombo, as well as the UN Focal
Point, and UNDP Disaster Management Unit, under the leadership of the
HC/RC in Sri Lanka are on stand-by if there is a need for further
humanitarian action.
14. This situation report, together with information regarding on-going
emergencies, is also available on the Reliefweb:
http://www.reliefweb.int.
For detailed information please contact:
Humanitarian Affairs Officer (Colombo)
Ms. Carmen vanHeese
Tel. +94 773 184 078
Email: vanheese@un.org
Desk Officers:
(NYC)
Ms. Esty Sutyoko
Tel. +1 347 260 2062
Email: sutyoko@un.org
(GVA)
Mr. Jean Verheyden
Tel: +41 79 509 8116
Email: verheyden@un.org
Press contact:
(NYC)
Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Tel. +1 917 367 5126
(GVA)
Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Tel. +41 22 917 2653
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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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