"There is a serious risk of our children becoming ill due to poor sanitation. We cannot cook meals as kitchen facilities are also flooded"

An internally displaced person told the BBC that sanitation in the camps is of serious concern as water overflowing from lavatories is flooding tents.

"There is a serious risk of our children becoming ill due to poor sanitation. We cannot cook meals as kitchen facilities are also flooded," he said.

Journalists and aid workers are not allowed in to camps housing nearly 300,000 IDPs in Vavuniya.

Roofs blown away

Roofs of temporary tents were blown away by strong winds, and it is difficult for aid vehicles to reach the camps due to flood waters, Groundviews, a citizen journalism website said.

"Toilet pits are overflowing and whole areas are stinking. Huge concerns over health and sanitation. For over two days there hasn't been proper food and water for IDPs in Zones 4 and 5," the website said.

"They say we are now freed but we do not feel any freedom. We are surrounded by barbed wire fences. Why do they take revenge from us?"

The IDP who spoke on condition of anonymity accused the government of keeping the displaced against their will.

"We suffered a lot during the LTTE rule. They say we are now freed but we do not feel any freedom. We are surrounded by barbed wire fences. Why do they take revenge from us," he questioned.

Meanwhile, US based New York Times said the flooding caused by heavy rainfall on Friday raised fears of safety of the IDPs.

New York Times

"If only three or four hours of rain cause this much chaos, one can only imagine what a full monsoon can cause," David White, country director for Oxfam, was quoted as saying by the New York Times.

As monsoon rains are expected to begin in little more than a month, many aid groups worry that the hastily built camps will not survive the inundation, it said.

Minister of Resettlement, Rishard Badurdeen earlier told the BBC that about thousand displaced people affected have been moved into another temporary accommodation within the camp.

“We have provided the displaced people with bread and we hope to resume cooking by tomorrow”, minister added.