Online edition of Daily News

In 1947 Sri Lanka suffered floods that devastated the lives of thousands of people. Fifty six years down the line the country is facing the same predicament but on a larger scale. Where do we stand with relief operations and aid?

While we sit in our comfortable suburban homes with complaints of the numerous electricity cuts, thousands of people in the Ratnapura, Deniyaya, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kalutara districts have watched their homes and belongings vanish before their very eyes at the hands of raging, lashing waters. Entire villages and their inhabitants have been washed away with nearly 178,000 families being displaced.

Residents carry food and drinking water through flooded streets near the southern Sri Lankan town of Matara. AFP

The current death toll stands at 237 with more persons being reported missing by the minute. The situation is only worsening with the Meteorology Department predicting more scattered showers in the coming days. Disheartening news for those already homeless families clinging to the hope of bright sunny skies.

An Emergency Disaster Management Committee, set up by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, identified several priority areas such as search and rescue operations, food supply, improving road conditions, providing safe drinking water, medical and first-aid facilities that need immediate attention.

The main function of this committee will be to monitor details and coordinate efforts during natural diasters. President Kumaratunge pledged RS 100 million from the President's Fund for relief and rehabilitation purposes. The Norwegian Government has granted RS 95 million in emergency relief which will be channelled through the Sri Lanka Red Cross and various United Nations agencies.

We seem to be struggling under the pressure of providing assistance to the flood victims even with the relief funds. Thus far temporary shelters were provided for only 50,000 of the 178,000 displaced families. Providing relief supplies to affected areas is proving challenging as flood waters have obliterated the hope of road transport. Victims not only have to contend with the shortage of shelter but also the threat of disease.

Flood victims gather around an airforce transport helicopter to be evacuated to make-shift shelters as flood waters went down leaving a trail of destruction. Flash floods and mudslides have claimed at least 256 lives and displaced another 200,000 families in southern Sri Lanka with the authorities describing it as the worst floods in living memory. AFP

Exposure to cold temperatures, lack of proper sanitation and unclean drinking water could raise the chances of Pneumonia, Typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis and a whole host of diseases being contracted.

The Ministry of Social Welfare in collaboration with the Disaster Management Committee is working hard to address this catastrophe by setting up a `Special Operational Office' which is directing relief aid to the necessary areas. An official from the Welfare Ministry said that the Government has allocated RS 17 million to provide relief for flood victims. The official also stated that the highest number of confirmed deaths were from Ratnapura while the most affected families were in Galle.

Arrangements have also been made by the Ministry to provide cooked meals, dry rations, clothes and drugs to the displaced families. It was also said that at present attention has been mostly directed at the immediate requirements of the victims while undertaking the challenging responsibility of deciding which districts need the most amount of financial relief for rehabilitation.

For some natural disasters are sign that the end of the world is near. While most of us do not necessarily believe this omen, natural diasters such as the floods we are experiencing are tragic nevertheless. The fury unleashed by the skies has left thousands of people destitute and hopeless.

Rehabilitation of these people and their lost lives will be a mammoth task. However this situation should be taken very seriously and as a warning of what could be in the future. We cannot afford to blindly stumble into future catastrophes after experiencing first hand the havoc wreaked.