Emergency aid has started reaching the Sri Lanka flood victims as rescue teams continue to reach out to marooned people, taking advantage of slightly improved weather. Floods and mudslides have claimed some 146 lives.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Jaywardena
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Sri Lanka rushes aid to flood victims
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Floodwaters were receding Sunday in some areas after a lull in rain gave rescue teams a chance to deliver much-needed supplies to flood victims.
Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, who is heading the search and rescue operation, said the soldiers had cleared road access to most of the affected areas in southern and western Sri Lanka.
Unusually heavy rains triggered more than a dozen landslides that buried homes on mountain slopes, as river banks burst to unleash flood waters.
Over half a million people were displaced by the monsoon, in addition to thousands of those who were evacuated to safer locations, the official Disaster Management Center (DMC) said..
The military teams were using helicopters and boats to rescue marooned people and deliver food and medicine to them.
The Sri Lankan government sought international help to deal with the situation. An Indian naval ship loaded with emergency supplies reached the island nation Saturday, with another Indian shipment is due to arrive on Monday.
The United Nations said it would send water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets, whereas the World Health Organization's health officials would work to cure and prevent diseases.
Rescuers have pulled out more bodies from under enormous mudslidesImage: Getty Images/AFP/L. Wanniarachchi
Worst flooding in years
More rains are forecast for Sunday and Monday.
The death toll has climbed to 146 with at least 112 people missing. On Sunday, Sri Lankan rescuers pulled out more bodies which had become trapped under huge mudslides. Sudantha Ranasinghe told local media that he did not expect to find any more survivors.
Friday's flooding was the worst the country has experienced since 2003, when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes were destroyed after a comparable monsoon. Last May, another massive landslide killed more than 100 people in the central part of the country.
Mudslides have become increasingly common in the country following rainstorms, as land has become deforested to grow crops like tea and rubber.
A 2015 World Resources Institute (WRI) report said that river flooding could affect 21 million people and expose $96 billion (85 billion euros) in GDP worldwide each year. By 2030, those numbers could grow to 54 million people and $521 billion in GDP affected every year, according to WRI. One of the hardest-hit areas is predicted to be South Asia, a region where more than 9.5 million people are already being affected every year by floods.
Severe floods and landslides batter Sri Lanka
More than half a million people have been displaced in Sri Lanka amid the worst floods and landslides in over a decade. There seems to be little respite ahead, as authorities warn of more heavy rain in the upcoming days.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Mounting toll of dead and missing
Four days of severe floods and landslides in the southern and western parts of Sri Lanka have left more than 150 people dead. In excess of 110 people are reported missing while another 95 are currently hospitalized due to injuries. Most of the victims were killed by landslides when their hillside houses were buried under torrents of mud and rock.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/L. Wanniarachchi
Worst flooding in over a decade
The current spell of flooding is the worst since May 2003, when 250 people were killed and more than 10,000 houses were destroyed in similar circumstances. Last year, flooding and landslides claimed more than 100 lives on the island. Sri Lanka usually receives the heaviest rainfall from May till September, but heavy downpours can cause havoc in the northwest from November to February as well.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. S. Kodikara
Relief operations gain momentum
The Sri Lankan government said relief operations intensified on Sunday following a break in the downpours. The military has deployed helicopters, boats and amphibious vehicles to distribute aid. Meanwhile, the Colombo government has also sought international assistance, appealing to the United Nations and neighboring countries.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Jayawardena
Authorities and civilians work hand in hand
More than 2,000 security personnel are taking part in the relief operations. They also have the assistance of some 10,000 civilian volunteers who are helping with the collection of dry rations, cooking meals and the transport of victims from the affected areas.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Jaywardena
Damage to property
Approximately 2,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Almost half a million people have been forced from their homes and are sheltering in government buildings or with friends and relatives. The charity organization Save the Children said about one-tenth of the displaced were aged below five.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Looming threats
Residents in the south of the country also face the threat of crocodile attacks after a river known for its dangerous wildlife burst its banks overnight. Fears of stagnant floodwaters becoming breeding grounds for dengue-spreading mosquitoes are also widespread, with children being most vulnerable. Medical teams were sent to the worst-hit areas to help prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. S. Kodikara
The worst is over - but more is coming
Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Center (DMC) has extended a weather alert in seven of the country's 25 districts, warning of heavy showers and possible landslides on Monday and Tuesday as well.
