UN supports Sri Lanka in water purification after flash foods

The United Nations on Monday said it had provided the Sri Lankan government with water purification tablets and chlorine to disinfect contaminated wells and homes following severe flooding in the island nation.

A situation report released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said that in flood affected locations in urban areas, such as Colombo, the water and sanitation infrastructure has been overwhelmed.

"Human and animal waste is being deposited in the standing water, causing concern for immediate and longer term health problems. Many wells and other sources of drinking water have been damaged or destroyed, and populations require access to sources of clean, safe water as well as sanitation facilities," the UN situation report said.

The report further said that as a result of the large quantities of standing water, communities were increasingly at risk of leptospirosis and water-borne, skin diseases and vector- borne diseases.

Early detection of dengue, measles, diarrhea, pneumonia symptoms were important. Pregnant and lactating women, and children under five who had been displaced from their homes and were living in temporary accommodation were especially vulnerable to waterborne and communicable diseases.

Affected populations were vulnerable to psychosocial distress and trauma as a result of the disaster, the UN OCHA said.

At least 92 people have been killed and over 130 missing owing to strong winds and severe flooding which lashed out across Sri Lanka last week.

So far 500,000 people have been affected by severe floods and landslides across the island country and over 250,000 have been shifted to temporary shelters. Endit