Due to the continuous rain in the past months, several districts of the country have been severely affected and the worst are : Rathnapura, Galle and Gampaha. Other affected districts include Colombo, Kegalle, Kaluthara, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-eliya.

Ratnapura district has already been declared an emergency zone due to the epidemic of   “Chikun-gunya”, due to the breeding of mosquitoes during the rainy season.
   
According to newspaper reports so far 06 people have been reported dead due to the floods and the number of displaced as at 01st June 2008, exceeds 80,000 in the island

Caritas Sri Lanka is in the process of collecting information from the affected Diocesan Centres and assessing the ground situation as to the number of houses that have been damaged. The Relief and Rehabilitation Unit of the National Centre is in constant dialogue with the Diocesan Centres to collect the latest information.

Meterological department forecasts that the bad weather conditions will continue for the next two days as well. The situation is expected to deteriorate in the coming few months.

The government of Sri Lanka has allocated a sum of Rs.12 Million for emergency flood relief activities up to now.

The Relief and rehabilitation programme of Caritas-Sri Lanka has already committed a sum of Rs.550,000/- to be distributed to the affected districts, making use of a balance of money  from last year’s flood relief programme. The Partners who contributed have consented for this money to be distributed.

With heavy showers and floods predicted in many areas in the coming months, support is needed to provide immediate relief measures for the affected.