Asia

Sri Lanka

Location

Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India.

There is a high threat of terrorism in Sri Lanka. The civil war has been raging for a number of years and has been punctuated with suicide bomb attacks by members of the Tamil Tigers, especially in north and east. Most tourist areas have been left off the list in the ongoing attacks by the Tamil Tigers as they have focussed on other areas in Sri Lanka. There have been bomb attacks and assassinations in Colombo and suicide bomb attacks in the cities of Trincomalee and Baticaloa.
Weapons (assorted), vehicle security, personal security, ambushes, kidnappings, gunfire, legal / illegal checkpoints, armed robberies, general travel, navigation, off road driving, building / office security, hot weather injuries, diseases, health & hygiene, clothing & equipment, emergency first aid, helicopter safety, cultures / customs, communications, civil disturbances / unrest, terrorism, wildlife.

Use bottled water only.

Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior.

Tropical monsoon; north-east monsoon (December to March); south-west monsoon (June to October).

Occasional cyclones and tornadoes. Tsunamis.

Cholera, dengue fever, hepatitis A, malaria, polio, rabies, typhoid, yellow fever.
Hospital: National Hospital, Columbo. Tel: 1-691111 / 698443

Deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanisation; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo.

You should be prepared for the unexpected. Erratic driving and bad road conditions contribute to frequent accidents. You should comply with instructions at all road blocks and security checks. Areas in the north and east affected by the conflict have been heavily mined.

Hostile Environments and Emergency First Aid Training (HEFAT®) (5 days)
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