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Sri Lanka |
Disaster Assistance at a Glance
Recent Disaster Declarations:
Floods, Complex Emergency
OFDA Response:
Emergency relief supplies, coordination, health, logistics, nutrition, protection, water, sanitation, and hygiene
OFDA Preparedness:
Disaster preparedness, capacity building
Latest OFDA Report:
Sri Lanka Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #5 (87kb)
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Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Floods, 12-01-2008
Between November 22 and 30, heavy rains associated with Cyclone Nisha led to severe flooding in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, particularly impacting conflict-affected populations and internally displaced persons in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, and Trincomalee districts. The Government of Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center (DMC) reported that flooding had affected an estimated 360,000 people, displaced more than 100,000 individuals, and killed at least 11 others, as of December 1. In Jaffna District alone, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee in Sri Lanka reported that flooding damaged or destroyed more than 40,000 houses and affected approximately 330,000 people, including an estimated 62,316 individuals displaced to camps and temporary shelters. The DMC also reported that flooding affected the electrical supply and caused extensive damage to shelters, schools, roads and other infrastructure, further complicating the delivery of emergency relief supplies.
On December 1, U.S. Ambassador Robert O. Blake issued a disaster declaration due to the effects of the floods. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $100,000 through USAID/Sri Lanka to support U.N. agencies in the provision of shelter and emergency relief supplies to affected populations. USAID/OFDA staff in Washington, D.C., and Bangkok, Thailand, continued to monitor the situation in close coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Colombo and USAID/Sri Lanka.
Additional Disaster Declaration:
Complex Emergency, 10-06-2006
As of January 2007, more than two decades of conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam separatist group had caused at least 65,000 deaths, according to humanitarian monitoring organizations. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), renewed conflict displaced approximately 215,000 people, primarily in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, from April 2006 to early February 2007. As of February 2007, approximately 315,000 individuals remained displaced from earlier stages of the conflict, in addition to 150,000 people who still lacked permanent shelter as a result of the December 2004 tsunami. As of November 2006, 15,800 people had fled Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu state in southern India.
On October 6, 2006, U.S. Ambassador Robert O. Blake re-declared a disaster due to the ongoing conflict and resulting internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka and requested additional OFDA support. As of January 2007, OFDA had allocated more than $1.2 million in FY 2007 to support protection, logistics, and coordination and information management activities. This funding augmented $1.1 million provided by OFDA for humanitarian programs beginning in FY 2006.
For information on additional USAID disaster responses in Sri Lanka, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
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