Muslims show solidarity to some of the 80,000 people affected by floods (video)
The island nation’s south-west and east are the most affected areas. About a hundred millimetres of rain have fallen in the past few days, but twice as much is expected over the next couple of days. The ongoing bad weather is atypical.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – At least 80,000 people have been affected by violent floods that are sweeping the south-western and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
The local Met Office has reported that about 100 mm of rain have fallen in the last few days with twice as much expected in the next two days.
In Negombo, young Muslims from the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama community prepared and handed out lunch to people affected by the bad weather.
“The Negombo mosque committee organised food distribution in solidarity with flood victims," said Abdul Rahman, one of its members, speaking to AsiaNews.
The most affected districts are Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kalutara, Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy and Kegalle.
Schools in Galle and Matara have been closed since yesterday and will be until 27 September, said Southern Province Governor Hemal Gunasekara.
The current bad weather is atypical. Usually monsoons arrive in two waves: between May and September in the south-west and in October and November in the north-east.
Unexpected as they are, the rains are causing havoc for thousands of people, the authorities note.
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday asked all concerned officials to take quick steps to provide all the necessary help to the affected communities.
Noting that the rains could last two months, he stressed the importance of working strategically in coordination with all the ministries.
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