As Sri Lanka struggles to cope with the effects of its second wave
of torrential monsoon rains in two months, the United Nations
Central Emergency Fund (CERF) and US Agency for International
Development (USAID) have contributed USD 950,000 to IOM's flood
relief effort.

According to Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC), the
floods in the country's Eastern, Central and Northern provinces are
the worst in 100 years, with 15 districts and 1.2 million people
affected. Some 17,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged and
some 67,500 families are now living in 686 displacement camps.

IOM will today take delivery of a USAID consignment of 600 rolls
of plastic sheeting for 6,000 displaced families and 1,000 family
mosquito nets flown in from Dubai.

The donation, which is part of USAID's USD 245,250 contribution
to IOM's USD 8.36 million initial appeal for funds, will be trucked
to affected areas and distributed in close cooperation with the
local authorities next week.

IOM is already using USD 600,000 for essential non-food relief
items (NFIs) and USD 100,000 for health donated by the CERF to
support DMC relief operations in Ampara, Batticaloa, Killinochchi
and Vavuniya districts.

To date IOM has delivered and is distributing 9,000 plastic
sheets and 2,500 NFI kits comprising sleeping mats, clothing,
towels, mosquito coils, kitchen utensils, plastic buckets and
plastic sheets to flood victims in Batticaloa, Ampara, Vavuniya,
Mullaitivu and Killinochchi districts.

IOM is also coordinating the "Cluster" of aid agencies providing
shelter and NFIs to flood victims.

IOM's health unit has also deployed two medical officers to
coordinate health sector operations and is providing eight vehicles
to transport government health workers to flood affected areas in
Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee, Pollonaruwa, Vavuniya and
Anuradhapura districts to conduct mobile clinic and disease
surveillance activities under the supervision of the Regional
Director of Health Services.

For more information please contact:

Lorena Lando

IOM Colombo

Tel: +94 (0)11 5325300

Email: "mailto:llando@iom.int">llando@iom.int

or

Giuseppe Loprete

IOM Colombo

Tel: +94 (0)11 5325300

E-mail: "mailto:gloprete@iom.int">gloprete@iom.int