Thousands affected by floods in NE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 December 2002, 16:35 GMT]
One hundred thousand families mainly from Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Amparai and Killinochchi, have been badly affected by the flood waters caused by torrential rains in the northeast province since Monday evening, social department officials said Tuesday.

Several hundred families have been rendered homeless and have been given temporary accommodation in schools and other public buildings. Several thousand acres of paddy and other crops have been ruined, sources said.

Social Services Department is busy in assisting the displaced families with cooked food and dry rations, government sources said.


Alles Garden refugee camp under flood

In Trincomalee district more than hundred displaced families who returned from Vanni and waiting for resettlement in villages Thiriyai, Kuchchaveli and other Tamil villages in the north of the Trincomalee are rendered homeless due to floodwater entering their temporary huts put up in a coconut estate at Nilaveli, north of east port town. More than four hundred internally displaced families live in Nilaveli refugee camp.

About fifty families who live in temporary huts put up at a refugee camp at Alles Garden supported by UNHCR, are also rendered homeless as their houses are under floodwater. Alles Garden refugee camp accommodates more than five hundred displaced families due to violence, sources said

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) national list parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham Tuesday toured the flood-affected villages and refugee camps in the north of Trincomalee and made arrangements to provide necessary assistance, sources said.

In Batticaloa district more than seventy thousand families have been affected by the flood. Public transport services have come to a standstill in several parts of the district, as most of the main roads are under flood waters. Social department officials have taken steps to distribute cooked food to families who have sought refuge in schools and public buildings, sources said.

In Killinochchi district, at least twenty percent of the population is affected by the flood due to continuous rain, social department officials said. The Iranaimadu tank is over flowing and several acres of paddy crops have been washed away, agricultural sources said. Killinochchi district secretariat officials have taken steps to assist flood-affected families with cooked rice and dry rations, sources said.

Also, about six thousand families are affected by flood in the Ampara district.
Refugees taking shelter in community center


Nilaveli huts of IDP returnees from Vanni