Ratnapura district in Sri Lanka is prone to annual floods, but this year’s were much worse than usual. “Within 20 minutes the flood levels came up,” said Kalana Peiris, national health adviser for Plan International. “People had to rush to leave their homes. They put all their belongings on the upper floors of their houses. But unexpectedly those floors were also submerged with water, so they lost everything. Birth certificates and school textbooks. It was very sad.”

People were affected by two natural disasters – floods and landslides. On Kiribathgala Hill, eight houses with their 18 inhabitants were submerged by mud. Soldiers recovered more than a dozen dead bodies here. Temporary shelters in schools and Buddhist temples, which tend to be built on higher ground, are housing the people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed.

It may take months for the homes impacted by the landslides to be habitable again. “Still people are not that well prepared for disasters like this,” said Peiris. “Although there are many efforts to make preparations. People seem to be waiting until the last moment. Many of these deaths and injuries could have been prevented if we had reacted promptly.”

“The [survivors] have all the food and water that they needed but there are gaps for non-food items,” says Peiris. “Especially for women and girls – needs like sanitation.”

Around 2,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Ratnapura district and there are around 10,000 in 15 other districts that were affected.

“Overall the local response was very good,” said Peiris. “All the deaths and injuries were because of the direct impact of the flood or the landslide. When they got to shelters their survival was ensured, by the neighbours and the media who coordinated a good effort. It was inspiring to see how the media behaved during the disaster. They were one of the quickest to respond and they coordinated very well with the government disaster management centre.”

“Many people were of the view that the complacency cost them their valuables,” said Peiris. “They assumed that the floods were not going to be serious. The government warnings should take into account that people may not perceive the threat and should take measures to ensure people follow the instructions.” On 31 May, the Sri Lankan government pledged to tighten construction laws as the toll from heavy rains rose to 203, saying many landslide victims would have survived had their homes not been built on slopes.