Sri Lanka Hit by a Deadly Double Whammy

Sri Lanka’s deadly floods exacerbate dengue crisis, warns Save the Children – more rainfall forecast

Hundreds killed or missing, and about 500,000 are displaced in the flooding and mudslides triggered by incessant rains, authorities said.

Meanwhile, a surge of dengue fever cases have been reported by NGOs with 53,000 dengue fever cases recorded across the country since January.

“The humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka right now is alarming. The impact of these early monsoon season downpours has been far more devastating than what we’d normally expect this time of year,” said Save the Children Country Director in Sri Lanka.

“We’re particularly worried we could start seeing a further increase in the number of dengue cases because of the stagnant water that the floods will leave in their wake, which is the last thing needed by families and communities that have already lost so much.”

Additional Information:

• http://reliefweb.int/organization/save-children