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Floods add to IDP woes in Vanni

Over 6500 families have been badly affected by floods in the Vanni, as irrigation tanks overflowed and villages were inundated with flood water.

Government officials confirmed that over 3000 families in Mullaitivu alone have sought out temporary accommodation so far, but that there were still vast areas that they have been unable to reach, leaving the true figure of affected people unknown.

The main roads linking Mullaitivu to Jaffna and Paranthan to Pudukudirrippu have been closed due to the heavy flooding.

Many of the families in the Vanni have been living in makeshift shelters since being “resettled”, with the floods adding to the host of problems they face.

See our earlier post: So much for ‘resettlement’ ... (Jan 2011)

UPDATE: Latest reports from the Government-run Disaster Management Centre suggest that more than 38,000 people in the Northern province have been displaced, including 10,000 families, with 14,456 people from Killinochi alone. Families are being sent back to 31 IDP camps, with heavier rains predicted.

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