Floods in Ampara leave many homeless

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 January 2003, 21:33 GMT]
About 75,000 families in Ampara have been displaced and have sought shelter in public buildings as a result of heavy rains and flooding for the last few days in the district,ources in Ampara said today.

The costal villages of Akkaraipattu, Attalaichenai, Oluvil, Palamunai, Ninthavur, Karaitheevu, Sainthamaruthu, Kalmunai, Pandiruppu and Maruthamunai have sustained the worst damage from the floods.

Those who have sought shelter in public buildings were given cooked meals for three days. About 300 homes have been completely destroyed, and more than a thousand have sustained minor damage. The flooding has disrupted transportation and floods have inundated many roads in the areas of Vellaveli and Thampattai. The public is unable to go out for their daily chores.

Moreover, as thousands of paddy fields are submerged in water, farmers have been affected. As the rains continue Friday, the government agent for Ampara said that the situation could worsen. Some Non-Governmental Organizations are planning to provide relief to the flood-affected people.