Death toll from Sri Lanka's extreme weather rises to 607

The death toll from Sri Lanka's extreme weather triggered by Cyclone Ditwah had risen to 607, with 214 others still remaining missing, the country's Disaster Management Center (DMC) said Friday.

More than 2 million people from 586,464 families have been affected nationwide, said the DMC, adding that 4,164 houses have been destroyed and 67,505 others have suffered partial damages.

Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology said rainfall in some parts of the country will increase on Dec. 9-11 due to the northeast monsoon conditions.

The National Building and Research Organization also issued a level-3 landslide early warning to multiple areas in Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara Eliya districts.

Death toll from Sri Lanka's extreme weather rises to 607

Death toll from Sri Lanka's extreme weather rises to 607

Death toll from Sri Lanka's extreme weather rises to 607

Death toll from Sri Lanka's extreme weather rises to 607

Medical supplies have rapidly dwindled in the Gaza Strip after Israel closed all crossings amid escalating tensions with Iran, leaving hospitals and patients struggling to obtain essential medicines.

Israel announced on Feb. 28 the closure of all crossings into the Gaza Strip, including the Rafah land crossing, until further notice, citing security concerns. The move halted the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The disruption of supply routes has rapidly depleted medicine stocks across the enclave, with many commonly used drugs beginning to run out, placing mounting pressure on hospitals and patients.

Some widely used drugs have already run out at Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza as the staff there are checking remaining supplies.

"This is your medicine, but now it's out of stock," a staff member at the hospital's pharmacy told a patient.

"This type of medicine isn't available at the hospital. I will try to find it elsewhere," said the patient.

The hospital said that more than 85 percent of medical consumables is now out of stock. Painkillers, antibiotics, surgical and anesthetic drugs, as well as diagnostic reagents, are all in severe shortage. Some commonly used medications for chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes have also become difficult to obtain.

"Every day the warehouse informs us that a certain medicine has run out, so we keep searching for alternatives. Patients are also looking everywhere for medicines, but often they still cannot find them," said the head of the medicine warehouse at Al-Awda Hospital.

Crossing closures leave hospitals in Gaza Strip facing shortage of essential medicines