Rs. 75 Mn In Additional Funds For Disaster Relief

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Ministry of Defence says an additional Rs. 75 million has been released to provide relief to people affected by floods and landslides in several districts.

Additional Secretary A.G. Dharmathilaka said that 56 Divisional Secretariat divisions in the districts of Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Kegalle, Matale, Matara, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Hambantota, and Puttalam have been impacted by heavy rainfall and strong winds.

He added that more than Rs. 50 million has already been allocated to District Secretaries to support ongoing relief operations in the affected districts.

According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), 11,832 people have been affected by heavy rains and landslides.

The DMC also said that 3,538 people are currently being sheltered at 51 safe centres.

Meanwhile, eight people have died and three others have been injured in various weather-related incidents caused by the severe weather.

One person remains missing.