Extreme weather on the island in the final quarter of 2010 caused flooding that forced thousands of families from their homes, but the situation deteriorated in early 2011 as further heavy rain brought the number of people affected to over 1m. At the peak of flooding in January over 360,000 people were displaced. Although that number fell in February, continued heavy rainfall actually resulted in more serious damage to housing in that month as reservoirs overflowed. The Eastern province was the region that was most badly affected by the disaster-India sent an aircraft load of food for distribution in the province-but the Northern and North-Central provinces were also hit hart.

So far the global response to the disaster has been muted, possibly because Sri Lanka's floods have not received much attention in international media. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has granted US$3m in emergency flood assistance, and the UN has appealed for US$50m for its aid package. As of end-February some US$25m had been pledged, although only one-half of that sum was regarded as representing firm commitments.

The UN's high-profile role in the flood assistance effort is ironic, given the strained nature of current ties between Sri Lanka's United People's Freedom Alliance government and the UN. Signs of a thaw in the frosty relationship were evident in February, when the secretary of Sri Lanka's Ministry of External Affairs, Romesh Jayasinghe, and the attorney-general, Mohan Peiris, travelled to the US to talk to UN officials. It is thought that the trip was linked to the proceedings of a UN panel that is due to report soon on human rights problems during the closing stages of Sri Lanka's civil war. However, none of those involved were prepared to comment officially. Sri Lanka's government, under pressure from nationalist hardliners in its ranks, has been keen to show that it is resisting the UN's investigation, which it views as outside interference.