Attachments
Description of the Event
Date of event
09-01-2024
What happened, where and when?
Initial Emergency Situation: October 19, 2023 (the initial IFRC-DREF operation was launched):
In early October 2023, Sri Lanka experienced heavy rainfall in the western, Sabaragamuwa, and southern provinces due to the intensification of the southwest monsoon. Severe rainy conditions were encountered in these provinces starting on 6 October 2023, and a red warning was issued to 7 districts on 7 October 2023. The Gampaha, Matara, and Galle districts were particularly affected, with a large number of people displaced due to floods and landslides. Seven deaths were reported, and more than 75,000 people belonging to 20,450 families in 13 districts were affected. The water levels of several rivers, including the Nilwala Ganga River, Gin Ganga River, and Kalu and Attanagalu Ganga Rivers, rose to alarming levels, causing flooding in low-lying areas. The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) issued landslide alerts for several areas, and the Ceylon Electricity Board disconnected the power supply in Matara as a safety precaution. Mudslides damaged hundreds of houses, and many schools were flooded, causing students to lose their school materials and stationery. Water and sanitation facilities, including sewerage lines and drinking water sources, were also affected. Currently, the floodwaters, a result of the major rivers overflowing and the intense showery conditions in the districts, have now receded, and the displaced people have returned to their homes. According to the DMC report, there was no information on the affected population or further damage in these three districts as of 21 December 2023.
2nd Emergency Situation - 19 December 2023 (led to scaling up of operation, informed through Operation Update#1):
Since the beginning of December 2023, several districts in the northern province of Sri Lanka have been experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds that have caused floods and severe weather-related incidents, with Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, and Puttalam districts reporting the greatest impacts. The main impacts were heavy rainfall, strong winds, floods, damage to houses and infrastructure, displacement of thousands of people, destruction of agricultural lands and crops, and limited access to essential goods and services. The districts of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, and Puttalam have been particularly affected. The floods have affected over 25,958 people and caused two fatalities and three injuries. The opening of spill gates at the Iranamadu reservoir and overflowing reservoirs contributed to the flooding in these areas. More than 5,000 people were impacted, with the largest number of displaced people reported in Mullaitivu district. Floods and heavy rain have affected over 3,000 people in the Puttalam district. Additionally, over 10,000 farmers have lost their crops, and dailywage farmers have been severely impacted. The ongoing economic crisis has further worsened the financial situation of affected households.
Rainstorms are still happening in the provinces to the north and northeast due to the ongoing northeast monsoon. However, the floodwaters that the major tanks overflowed and the extremely severe weather in the districts caused have now receded, and the displaced people are safely back at home. There was very little data available on the impacted population and damage in these three areas as of 12 January 2024, according to the DMC report.
3rd Emergency Situation - 13 January 2024 (led to scaling up of operation, informed through Operation Update#2):
Widespread heavy rains due to the intensification of the northeast monsoon in Sri Lanka have caused significant disruption to life and infrastructure, with the Ampara district bearing the brunt of the impact. Vehicular movement on the main roads were disconnected from major towns, and a few roads on the coastal sides was restricted due to flooding and damage. Railway services were also temporarily discontinued due to floodwater along the railway tracks. Ampara, the hardest-hit area, experienced over 150mm of rain on 9 and 10 January 2024, causing heavy floods that displaced more than 2,000 families and relocated them to 31 temporary shelters as of the DMC update on 12 January 2024. The flooding in Ampara was due to the Moravil Oya, Gal Oya, Ekgal Oya, and Pallang Oya breaching their banks.
The biggest tank in the country, located in the Ampara districts, started to overflow on 10 January 2024, the second time in the last ten years. It reached a water level of 112 feet, and all its gates were opened to discharge the excess water, which connects all the small and medium-level reservoirs in the districts. The Ampara Iginiagala main road, a vital link within the district, was completely submerged from the Suduwella area onwards due to the combined spillover of Ampara Reservoir and Konduwatuan Reservoir. Sri Lankan armed forces and police stepped in to assist with transportation services in the affected areas.
As per the DMC update on 12 January 2024, around 169,504 people were affected due to flooding only in Ampara districts, and 181 houses were partially damaged. Many schools were inundated. The agriculture and irrigation departments confirmed that the flood had already destroyed more than 26,000 acres of paddy land. Ampara is one of the major districts in the production of rice to meet the country's demand.
The affected population depends on government healthcare facilities in the affected regions to fulfill their healthcare requirements. Access to health and care facilities was restricted as a result of severe weather events, travel disruptions, and the need to relocate to safer areas. Moreover, the existing scarcity of medical supplies and disruptions to the healthcare system resulting from the ongoing economic crisis worsened the health status of the impacted population.
According to an initial assessment at the branch level, more than 20,000 farmers' harvests had been lost, and the closure of major roads and other transportation issues had a substantial impact on daily-wage farmers and other category daily workers. Essential home supplies were in high demand, and families may need assistance to fulfil their basic needs.