Update Flood Disaster Response, Sri Lanka (18-11-2011)

In December 2010 and January 2011 Batticaloa District was struck by catastrophic floods caused by a very hard hitting North East Monsoon, in one day alone 300mm of rain fell on Batticaloa. In five Districts over a one million people were affected, with over 500,000 people affected in Batticaloa. Many houses and livelihoods were destroyed, with thousands of acres of crops wiped out, farm land flooded and local food prices increased by over 50% locally.

HealthNet TPO supports a day-care centre for disabled children, where they can get (additional) food, education and care. In response to the floods, our local implementing partner MENCAFEP already has helped 160 of the most vulnerable disabled children and their families in Batticaloa District with food and non food packs. In line with the needs assessment, the focus was on providing immediate aid and support through foodstuffs and essential items that were urgently needed.

In summary, the status is as follows:

• Food security: To some extent this has been secured in the last months. With MENCAFEP still trying to play its part by trying to feed all the children that attend the schools and centres, knowing for a majority of them it is the only good meal they get a day.
• Rehabilitation: MENCAFEP has helped 60 children who lost clothes and educational equipment, providing them with new clothes, school bag and educational equipment.
• Renovation: MENCAFEP’s schools and centres were damaged with over three foot of water washing through them. This was damage to floors, walls, electrical fittings and electrical equipment, including computers. MENCAFEP has independently raised funds to repair some of the schools and centres, these renovations have now been finished.
• Health Clinics: MENCAFEP has managed to hold two health camps, again with limited resources, to help monitor children affected by the floods. Illnesses that keep coming up are chest infections, skin diseases, gastro and bowel ailments. More health camps and health clinics are needed to keep a check on the most susceptible children. HealthNet TPO has raised additional funds through online donation platform Pifworld.com. With these funds, MENCAFEP will be able to continue to monitor the health of over 2,500 disabled children for another year, this will include medicines.

It is now nearly a year since floods. The ground was completely saturated and took months to completely dry out and the soiled cleaned before new crops could be planted again. Medical professionals all agree there has been an increase in children’s illness since the floods. They also agree that regular checks are needed on children that are the most defenceless. Recently, NGO’s working in and around Batticaloa District estimated that 65% of the children in the District are malnourished.

In short: although the situation already has improved, help is still urgently needed.