Around 15,000 pregnant women in Sri Lanka have been affected by the tsunami disaster and are in need of special care and attention, official Daily News said on Wednesday.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Sri Lanka Lubna Baqi said they are working with the Health Ministry and other organizations to meet the emergency reproductive health needs.

"The maternity hospitals and wards in the affected areas have also been damaged by the disaster. Therefore these women require special attention," Baqi said.

The UNFPA has already allocated 1.5 million US dollars for this purpose and will provide 7.5 million dollars more," Baqi added.

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2005)