COLOMBO, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan authorities on Monday urged the public to be vigilant about the higher risk of infectious and vector-borne diseases as floodwaters receded in several districts following days of adverse weather.
Jayatissa Munasinghe, assistant secretary of the National Disaster Relief Services Center, said stagnant water and mud pose increased health hazards, adding that the Ministry of Health has already begun implementing preventive measures.
Each divisional secretariat has been allocated 50 million rupees (about 162,528 U.S. dollars) to provide immediate assistance to affected families, Munasinghe said, noting that relief funds have been increased and can now be released without administrative delays.
In addition to previously released funds for dry rations, authorities have approved the distribution of packaged dry food items where needed, he said.
According to the latest data issued by the Disaster Management Center, 355 Sri Lankans have died and 366 persons remain missing due to the adverse weather conditions affecting the country. ■