ReliefWeb

Key findings:

Rains are expected to continue in affected areas into the first week of June. Many dams in the southwest are overflowing or at risk of breaching.

The outbreak of dengue fever, with already over twice the number of cases as the same time period in 2016, will be aggravated by damaged health facilities and water logging due to flooding.

Priority needs are: drinking water, rehabilitation of contaminated water sources; rehabilitating health centres, preparing for cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, and dengue fever outbreaks; and shelter, particularly in Galle, Kalutara, Matara, and Ratnapura districts.

Roads have been cut off by flooding and landslides in affected areas.

Crisis overview

Heavy rains in southwestern Sri Lanka from 25 May triggered flooding that affected 15 districts, of which Galle, Kalutara, Matara, and Ratnapura were the most severely affected. Over 588,000 people have been affected, 180 killed, and 110 are missing. Landslides and flooding have constrained access to heavily affected areas. An estimated 40% of those in affected areas do not have access to piped water, and are therefore extremely vulnerable to waterborne diseases such as cholera or diarrhoea.