Americares responds to Sri Lanka floods

Stamford, Conn.: Americares is deploying a response team to Sri Lanka, where severe flooding and landslides have killed more than 200 people and left thousands homeless.

The health-focused relief and development organisation is mobilising experienced disaster response experts from its offices in Mumbai, India, and the United States to meet survivors’ immediate health needs. More than 800,000 people in 15 of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts have been forced to evacuate their homes since heavy rains began on 25 May.

“Tens of thousands of people in the affected areas have limited access to clean water, so we are very concerned about the spread of cholera, dysentery and other waterborne diseases,” said Americares Vice President of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia. “Dengue fever is also on the rise in Sri Lanka and could pose an additional health threat.”

Americares is prepared to deliver medicine and relief supplies for displaced families, as well as offer assistance to ensure health facilities can continue treating survivors. The United Nations reports 16 hospitals have been damaged by the foods, including the Provincial General Hospital in Ratnapura.

Americares has professional relief workers ready to respond to disasters at a moment’s notice and stocks emergency medicine and supplies in its warehouses in the U.S., Europe and India that can be delivered quickly in times of crisis. The organisation responds to an average of 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings disaster preparedness programs to vulnerable communities.

Americares has a long history of working in Sri Lanka, including a multi-year response to the 2004 tsunami. Americares completed a $50 million aid program for tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India that rebuilt schools, hospitals, water systems and livelihoods. In all, Americares rebuilt or renovated more than 40 health care facilities across Southeast Asia.