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Sri Lanka flooding: ‘Entire lives swept away in a single night’
People in New Zealand with family in Sri Lanka are describing the widespread devastation caused by severe flooding from Cyclone Ditwah.
The [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/331910/death-toll-continues-to-rise-half-a-million-displaced-by-sri-lanka-floods extreme weather system has destroyed homes, leaving thousands displaced. A state of emergency has also been declared.
There are also reports that entire villages have been washed away in landslides and many villages have been completely cut off.
Statistics from the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre [DMC] showed 212 people had died and 218 people were missing as of Sunday evening.
Aucklander Sachindra Amarasekara grew up in Sri Lanka and has family in Hanwella near the capital of Colombo.
“They are surrounded by flood water. Fortunately, their house itself has not been severely damaged, but they are in complete isolation.
“And also, the electricity lines are destructed [damaged], leaving them without power, and all internet connections are down due to damage to the service providers.
‘We heard reports that the flooding has affected the main water treatment plant in Colombo at the moment, which means they may soon lose access to drinking water as well, unfortunately.”
Cyclone Ditwah in the Spring Valley area (part of Badulla) in Sri Lanka. Photo: Supplied / Lasitha Buddika
Amarasekara said it is a really hard time for many people.
“I’m very sure many people have seen their entire lives swept away in a single night. There’s a sense of helplessness, that’s what I felt from my father when I last I spoke to him.
“And also most of my friends and families, when I speak to them or when they’re receiving the text messages, I felt like they are quite feeling like hopeless.
“I’m sure many of them are mentally scattered, trying to understand what comes next.”
Cyclone Ditwah in the Spring Valley area (part of Badulla) in Sri Lanka. Photo: Supplied / Lasitha Buddika
Amarasekara said many communities are isolated due to landslides, making it hard to get supplies and rescue teams to some areas.
“All three forces and the police are working really hard to reach the affected areas and get people out, and communities are also stepping to collect dry food and preparing warm meals to distribute.
“Unfortunately, most of the places, they can’t reach still because of the severe landslides, and also, the roads are not there some places and there is still floods going on.
“So many people trapped inside, so many people missing at the moment.” she said.
Cyclone Ditwah in the Spring Valley area (part of Badulla) in Sri Lanka. Photo: Supplied / Lasitha Buddika
She said it is hard to see, as her country had already been through so much recently.
“I feel so sorry for my people because we’re just coming out from the economic crisis and we’re just about to stand on our own feet, and this is the worst we faced so far.
“We have faced wars, we have faced tsunamis, we have faced so many things, we lost so many people along the way.”
Amarasekara said as a nation, the country always comes back stronger but: “This is the very first time in Sri Lanka, I have seen that we are seeking for international help,” she said.
Cyclone Ditwah in the Spring Valley area (part of Badulla) in Sri Lanka. Photo: Supplied / Lasitha Buddika
Samith Hettiarachchi lives in Mulleriyawa, and was told to evacuate, leaving everything behind, and said water would reach up to 20 feet and was rising 1 foot an hour.
Hansana Yaddehige also told RNZ his friends entire village was flooded, causing homes to collapse, power to go out, with no access to water.
Nipun Fernando said it was hard to get access to food.
“There is a shortage of grocery supply due to transportation issues. Devastation is pretty bad.
“Access to some areas totally blocked due to landslides and bridges been damaged. No more rain but as a result of all that rain rivers are overflowing, this is the worst ever flooding in the recent past,” he said.
Cyclone Ditwah in the Spring Valley area (part of Badulla) in Sri Lanka. Photo: Supplied / Lasitha Buddika
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is providing consular assistance to a family travelling in Sri Lanka.
There are 200 New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel in Sri Lanka.
rnz
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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