UN team visits flood affected areas of Sri Lanka to assess situation

May 19,  A United Nations assessment team visited the flood affected areas in Gampaha district in Sri Lanka's Western Province today to evaluate the situation as the heavy rains brought in by the feeder bands of a cyclone lashed the country submerging the province.
According to the Disaster Management Center of Sri Lanka as of Wednesday over 458,783 persons (104,213 families) have been affected by the heavy rains. The death toll due to the inclement weather has risen to 18 by Wednesday.

The UN team comprising representatives from the World Food Program (WFP) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in coordination with Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center and Ministry of Economic Development met with the Government Agent of Gampaha District and Divisional Secretaries of the most affected divisions of Wattala and Katana and officials in charge of health services in the district.
The mission will cover Kalutara District in the southern part of the Western Province tomorrow. Over 38,000 people have been affected in the district due to the floods.