Sri Lanka Overseas Chinese Association funds flood relief

Xinhua: The Sri Lanka Overseas Chinese Association on Monday donated over Rs. 2 million to the Sri Lankan government to assist victims affected by severe floods and landslides across the country.

Additional Secretary of the Association, Huang Yongming told Xinhua that the Association consisted of 90 members and funds to assist the Sri Lankan Government towards the flood disaster had been collected for the past three days.

“Even members who are currently overseas, have contributed towards helping Sri Lanka rebuild after the floods and landslides,” Huang said.

The total amount of Rs. 2 million 776,000 was handed over to Minister of Disaster Management Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, in the capital.

The Association has vowed to continue assisting the Government in their relief efforts towards resettling thousands affected by Sri Lanka’s extreme weather.

At least 92 people have been killed so far while 500,000 people have been affected by the floods and landslides which lashed out across the country since last week.

Over 200,000 people have sought refuge in temporary shelters set up by the Government, waiting for water levels to recede to return back home.

The UN has said there was concern for immediate and longer term health problems following the floods in Sri Lanka due to large quantities of standing water, which risked leptospirosis and water-borne, skin diseases and vector- borne diseases.