Sri Lanka floods destroy crops, spread disease

In Sri Lanka, severe weather has caused flooding that has destroyed a significant portion of the country’s rice crop. Heavy monsoon rains have caused landslides and burst damns. At least 57 people are confirmed dead, thirteen of whom perished in the most recent round of flooding. Nearly 1 and a quarter million people have been affected more or less severely by the conditions.

Elisabeth Byrs from the UN’s humanitarian coordination office told reporters that contaminated water is now a major problem. "The situation needs to be closely monitored," she said. The flooding has also affected food security in the island nation. The Sri Lankan government says floods have destroyed at least 35 percent of the nation’s rice crop. Relief agencies are calling on the international community to step up assistance.

Listen to Chris Altieri’s report: