UN ISSUES FLASH APPEAL FOR FLOOD- AFFECTED SRI LANKA

(Colombo/New York: 19 January 2011): In response to devastating flooding in Sri Lanka, the United Nations and its partners are seeking US$ 51 million to meet the urgent needs of more than one million people for the next six months.

Torrential rain caused by the La Nina weather phenomenon in Sri Lanka's eastern and central districts in the last week has caused more than 360,000 people to flee their homes and claimed 43 lives.

The flood waters, which reached an almost 100 year high, are now receding and people are returning to their homes but it is estimated that 6,000 homes are totally destroyed and 23,000 are partially damaged. Some 10,000 people still remain displaced in temporary relocation centers.

"I hope donors will respond rapidly to help the survivors of these devastating floods, which have hit many people who were desperately vulnerable to begin with," said Catherine Bragg, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator who is in Sri Lanka. "As the longer-term economic impact is also bound to be serious, assistance now will be crucial for the recovery effort that must follow."

The majority of the people affected (94 per cent) live in the eastern and northern districts and agricultural production is the main source of livelihood for these people. This season's paddy harvest is now severely damaged and will result in increased food insecurity in some areas.

"These floods are an enormous and tragic setback for a community that is slowly rebuilding their lives following the 2004 tsunami and recovering from the decades-long conflict," said Ms Bragg. "It's hard to comprehend how people can recover from yet another disaster, especially as they were at a stage where they had planted crops and had the possibility of a sustained livelihood."

During the first day of her mission to Sri Lanka, Ms Bragg met with the international aid community and donors to hear the latest on the flood response as well as on the humanitarian needs in the north of the country where the most vulnerable populations live following the end of the conflict.

Most organizations warned that their resources to respond to the flood crisis were exhausted because they were used to respond to earlier flooding in December. They warned of concerns for the remainder of the northeast monsoon season which goes until February, if there were heavy rains again and the big impact this could have on the lives of already vulnerable people.

The Flash Appeal will be officially launched on 20 January in Colombo by Ms Bragg after she has visited the worst flood-affected areas in the eastern province, as well as conflict-related return areas in the north. The Appeal will be revised within the next month to reflect needs as the situation evolves.