Drought-like conditions are affecting various locations in Sri Lanka as a result of below-average rainfall in the first half of 2023 and water shortages in reservoirs.

According to the latest update from the National Disaster Relief Service Centre (NDRSC), nearly 150,000 people across 10 districts lack safe drinking water. Jaffna, Ampara, and Batticaloa are the hardest hit, accounting for 85% of the affected population.

The cultivation of around 50,000 farmers was also affected due to a lack of irrigation water in reservoirs. Farmers in the southwest have been protesting for weeks, demanding water for crops.

The local authorities are distributing drinking water to 128,431 people in the affected districts.