Sri Lanka Red Cross scales up recovery operations to assist over 50,000 people affected by floods in 20 districts.

31 May 2018 Colombo, Sri Lanka; The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies has launched a recovery operation to assist over 50,000 people who were severely affected by the recent floods.

Launching the operation that would assist in areas of health, water & sanitation, shelter and relief the Sri Lanka Red Cross aims to provide the means to the severely affected to get back in to their normal lives.

Accordingly 57 million rupees has been allocated for this project that will run for the next four months in Puttalam, Kalutara, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Gampaha and Colombo districts. These districts were identified as the most affected from recent floods that was brought in by incessant monsoon rains.

“Every year the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society along with its partners are launching recovery operations such as this, after floods” says President of Sri Lanka Red Cross Jagath Abeysinghe. “One thing we do constantly is to ensure that people affected have means of getting back on their feet after a devastating experience”

This programme will see the Red Cross support in essential household assistance via distribution of 2,800 households with unconditional cash grants of LKR 10,000, through a one installment bank transfer, to fulfil the basic needs such as buying back essential household items, medicine and other personal requirements.

The amount of the cash grants is based on the government standard for household needs.

The Red Cross will also assist in water, sanitation and hygiene promotion interventions focusing on improving access to safe water and hygienic behaviours by cleaning wells which was contaminated by flood waters. Volunteers and staff members will also work on holding hygiene promotion awareness programmes on safe water, food handling, cleaning campaigns and vector controls.

“We are also focusing on Health and care by providing basic First Aid, and holding medical camps and dengue prevention activities, which we believe is a need of the hour, considering past operations” President Abeysinghe said.

During the four months of this operation the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society will also enhance the quality of life of the people affected, by continuously working with them through the branch network and along with Government and other stakeholders to ensure that these people will not become victims of future disasters.

“This is crucial for us” says Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Head of International Affairs of the Sri Lanka Red Cross.

“One thing we see each and every year is that the scale and impact of the disaster continues to affect the same type of people who have witness disasters on a recurring basis. Steps need to be taken to ensure that they do not fall victim to future disasters. So we as the Red Cross continues to work with the Government and other stakeholder to ensure that this happens” he further said.