Holiday season marked by floods in Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka floods
Heavy rains, high winds and landslides have hit Sri Lanka during the holiday season, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The agency estimates that 315,000 people in 20 districts have been affected by the bad weather with the overwhelming majority of the victims in the district of Batticola in the Eastern Province.
Citing figures from the government's Disaster Management Centre, IOM says that more than 13,000 houses have been fully or partially damaged.
The agency is delivering non-food items to the flood victims, including hundreds of mosquito nets, tarpaulins, and mats.
It says that distribution began on Christmas day within 24 hours of receiving the initial request, but distribution has been made particularly challenging as a result of the flooding of many roads.
Gerry Adams, United Nations.
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