A Floods in Sri Lanka (based on the materials collected up until May 19)
Affelicted Country:： The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Affelicted Areas:：Three Southern Provinces in Sri Lanka (Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Western)
Dates:： May 17-18, 2003
Outline: ：The worst flood damage since 1947. As of May 18, at least 141 persons died and 85,000 households were washed away.
Transportation:：
The roads between Ratnapura and Kalwana are dangerous and impassable due to cracks and other problems. Huge fallen rocks have blocked the road between Ratnapura and Balangoda (on Route A4). (They cCannot be removed by heavy equipment. Removal by blasting is expected.)
Many vehicles are stalled in areas among Ratnapura. It is impossible to go to Ratnapura and beyond (as of May 17).
The railways are in normal operation in the afflicted areas.
Measures in Sri Lanka：:
Prime Minister: A disaster countermeasure office is has been established by four related ministers.
The Prime Minister inspected the affelicted areas oin May 18.
President: Instructed the government officials to support victims.
Established a countermeasures office at the Presidential Secretariat.
Instructed expenditure of the Special Budget of President in case of fund insufficiency.
Government:Appropriated a budget of 6 million rupees (about 8 million yen) for rescue activities in response to the requests of the Government Agents of Ratnapura, Matale and Nuwala-Eliya.
Is going to provide a compensationsolatium of 20,000 rupees (about 26,000 yen) per household for the people who lost homes, and a funeral cost of 15,000 rupees (about 20,000 yen) per victimfor each of deaths.
Established a round-the-clock countermeasures office at the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Sri Lanka Red Cross:
Dispatched two teams to Ratnapura and Southern Provinces to identify assess the disaster situations of disaster.
Decided to on daily deliveries of relief goods to the affelicted areas everyday.
Lottery Association:
Offered to contribute 410 million rupees (about 530 million yen) to the Ministry of Finance.
Foreign Assistance: ：
India: Dispatched a ship with medical staff, helicopters and relief foods to the port of Galle.
Norway: Offered to provide 95 million rupees (about 120 million yen) for rehabilitation of victims.
International Red Cross: A rescue team to arrive soon.
1
Regional Situations (mainly as of May 18)：
Region(Location on the next page) / Death toll
(confirmed) / Washed homes
Homeless people / Flood severity / Local damage / Remarks
Ratnapura, SabaragamuwaProvince / 81
(Accurate figure is unknown)) / 35,000 persons / Water level elevated to 15ft at a clock tower in Ratnapura. / Flooded police station
Mud slide / The worst damage since the flood in 1947.
Matale,
Southern Province / 10
(Discovered bodies) / 25,000 households / ― / ― / The second worst damage after Ratnapura
Hambantota, Southern Province / 22 / 200 households / Water level elevated to 7ft in MoOrawaka and Deniyaya Cities / Mud slide / FirstA flood damage aftesincerthe onfloeoding in 1969
Galle,
Southern Province / ― / ― / ― / ― / Serious damage throughout the prefecture
The Wworst damage in Hiniduma
Kalutara,
WesternProvince / Not reported / 10,000 households / ― / ― / Damage expanding in the seaside Kalutara
Note:) This is a summary of written reports. “―” indicates lack of report.
1
Photographs of the flood situation in Sri Lanka （１／２）
Victims rescued by an Air Force helicopter (Ratnapura) / People carrying the injured to a hospital by walk in thewater (Ratnapura)
Villagers watching 10 bodies gathered (Ratnapura) / People pushing a stalled bus (Ratnapura)
Photographs of the flood situation in Sri Lanka（２／２）
A main street soaked by the overflow from Kalu Ganga (Ratnapura) / One of the hundreds of flooded housesTens of thousands of people wereof victimsized; manyand left homeless.
1