Sri Lanka: Floods - Jan 1999

According to the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Colombo, the northeast monsoon brought heavy rains in the eastern part of Sri Lanka with the dawn of the New Year. 29,288 families in seven administrative districts, namely Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Badulla and Mannar, were affected by heavy floods. Two deaths had been reported to the Ministry of Social Services (MSS), the lead agency of the Government, which has been providing relief to the affected people. A larger number of people have been reportedly affected in Mulaitivu district. IFRC reported that damage to paddy fields was thought to be significant and that the traditional irrigation system of tanks and reservoirs (approximately 20,000 throughout the island) had been damaged by the floods in certain areas. Adverse weather conditions were also reported from Matale, an area in the central hills of Sri Lanka. On 4 January, strong winds with heavy rainfall caused damage to a number of homes and telecommunication facilities. Two deaths due to fallen trees were reported. A similar incident of strong winds had been reported in Ratnapura, the southern part of the hills. (OCHA, 11 Jan 1999)

The heavy and late arrival of monsoon rains at the end of December, 1998 and in early January, 1999 caused serious flooding in seven states of the country, mainly located in lowland areas and along the coastal belt. Close to 31,000 families (approximately 155,000 people) were reportedly affected. Some 15,000 families were initially displaced. As the waters receded they returned to their homes where many found that few belongings remained and houses were damaged or destroyed. [...] In the districts of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Vavuniya alone, more than 18,500 acres of paddy were lost. A second crop is expected in some locations as early as April and as late as September. In order to survive over the coming lean months, most of the affected people will depend on humanitarian assistance to supplement the meagre income generated from daily labour. (IFRC, 28 Jan 1999)