A total of 19 fishing boats were handed over to fishermen in the Trincomalee District whose livelihoods were devastated by last year’s Cyclone ‘Ditwah’, under a financial allocation of Rs. 1.3 million.

The ceremony, held at the Trincomalee District Secretariat yesterday (13), was organized by District Secretary W.G.M. Hemanta Kumara and attended by Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekar, who formally presented the boats to the beneficiaries.

According to the government, the initiative was aimed at supporting fishermen who lost boats and equipment during the cyclone, leaving them in severe hardship. 

The provision of new boats will enable them to resume fishing activities and rebuild their livelihoods. (Newswire)

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The Agricultural and Farmers Insurance Board has announced that Rs. 12,341.5 million has been disbursed to 202,025 farmers affected by last year’s Cyclone Ditwah.

According to the Board, the Department of Agrarian Development has already paid Rs. 8,888.5 million to 116,278 farmers for 148,000 acres of paddy fields that suffered total damage.

In addition, Rs. 3,453 million has been paid to 85,747 farmers cultivating maize, vegetables, and other field crops across Mahaweli areas, provinces, and inter‑provincial regions through the Department of Agriculture.

Under the scheme, compensation rates were set at Rs. 150,000 per hectare for paddy cultivation and Rs. 200,000 per hectare for maize, vegetables, and other field crops. (Newswire)

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $200 million emergency assistance package for Sri Lanka’s recovery and reconstruction following Cyclone Ditwah.

According to an ADB statement, the package comprises a $100 million regular loan and a $100 million concessional loan from ADB’s ordinary capital resources, and a $500,000 technical assistance grant to help strengthen project implementation, readiness, and quality assurance.

The Post-Cyclone Ditwah Reconstruction and Livelihood Support Project will finance priority investments to rehabilitate damaged road and irrigation infrastructure, restore the livelihoods of affected smallholder farmers, and support the reconstruction of severely damaged or destroyed houses. The project applies build-back-better principles to strengthen resilience to future disasters.

“Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread damage to infrastructure, housing, and livelihoods across Sri Lanka, placing additional strain on communities already facing significant economic challenges,” said ADB Country Director for Sri Lanka Shannon Cowlin. “This emergency assistance will help restore essential services, support affected households and farmers, and rebuild infrastructure to higher, climate-resilient standards.”

Cyclone Ditwah made landfall in Sri Lanka on 28 November 2025, bringing intense rainfall, flooding, and landslides that caused widespread damage across 22 districts and disrupted transport networks, irrigation systems, housing, and rural livelihoods.

The project will support the rehabilitation and climate-resilient reconstruction of priority national and rural roads damaged by the cyclone. This includes slope stabilization, drainage improvements, and repairs to carriageways and minor structures. These investments will restore safer, more reliable access to markets, services, and employment while reducing vulnerability to extreme weather events.

The project will also finance the rehabilitation of damaged irrigation infrastructure, including tanks, canals, and associated water management structures, and will strengthen dam safety planning. By restoring irrigation functionality and improving resilience, the project will help farmers resume agricultural production, support food security, and reduce exposure to future environmental shocks.

In addition, the project will provide targeted support to cyclone-affected households by building on the government’s recovery assistance programs for smallholder paddy farmers and owner-driven housing reconstruction. Livelihood assistance will help farmers restore inputs and resume production, while owner-driven housing support will be provided through staged grants based on verified construction progress, enabling families to rebuild safely and with greater resilience.

The project will be implemented through government agencies responsible for transport, irrigation, agriculture, and disaster recovery, supported by project implementation consultants and regular ADB review missions. 

ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region. (Newswire/ ADB)

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Members have been appointed to serve on the special parliamentary committee tasked with conducting a full study and submitting proposals and recommendations regarding the lack of full preparedness for Cyclone Ditwah.

MPs Prasanna Gunasena, Anton Jayakody, Aruna Jayasekara, Anuradha Jayaratne, Hector Appuhami, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, M.K.M. Aslam, Anushka Thilakaratne, Kandasaami Prabhu, Ruwan Mapalagama, and Padmanadan Sathiyalingam have been appointed to the committee.

Addressing the Parliament today, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne announced that Minister Nalinda Jayatissa will serve as the Chairman of this special committee. (Newswire)

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The Supreme Court has ruled to dismiss without hearing two fundamental rights petitions filed claiming that the emergency regulations imposed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake after the Cyclone Ditwah disaster violate basic human rights.

This decision was delivered by a three‑judge bench of the Supreme Court presided over by Chief Justice Priyantha Surasena. (Newswire)

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Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says while millions of people have been displaced by Cyclone Ditwah, the government is preparing to increase electricity tariffs by 11.57%.

In a special video message, he stated that although the present government came to power promising to build a prosperous country and a better life, instead, it is now laying the foundation for a poorer country and a harsher life by raising electricity bills.

Premadasa pointed out that government members, when in opposition, pledged on every platform to reduce electricity bills by 33%, for example, lowering a Rs. 9,000 bill to Rs. 6,000 and a Rs. 3,000 bill to Rs. 2,000, but after coming to power they have forgotten those promises and are instead planning to raise tariffs by 11.57%, betraying the public mandate they received.

He further said that millions of citizens voted for the current government because of its promise to reduce electricity bills, a pledge even publicly declared by the President. 

“Now, having gained power on the backs of the people, the government is betraying that trust, violating the human and fundamental rights of electricity consumers, and leaving them helpless through broken promises and deception,” the Opposition Leader said. 

Premadasa also criticized the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), saying that although they once claimed they would renegotiate IMF conditions to benefit the people, they too are now implementing IMF agreements unchanged, thereby imposing unlimited hardship and pressure on the public.

He stressed that even in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which left millions in distress, the government is still preparing to raise electricity tariffs without concern, and urged it to abandon this wrong course of action and instead fulfill its promise to reduce bills by 33%.

Sajith Premadasa concluded that the people must rally against a government that violates their mandate in this way, condemning such anti-people actions that heap unbearable pressure on citizens. (Newswire)

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The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) satellite data shows 2.3 million Sri Lankans were exposed and 1.1 million hectares were flooded due to Cyclone Ditwah.

According to the new geospatial analysis from the UNDP, an estimated 2.3 million people, more than half of them women, were living in areas flooded by Cyclone Ditwah that struck Sri Lanka on 28 November.

The analysis further shows floodwaters from the cyclone inundated more than 1.1 million hectares,  almost 20 per cent of the country’s land area, and caused significant damage to homes, infrastructure and essential services.

The UNDP analysis, which draws from disaster-related data from the Government of Sri Lanka, provides a nationwide picture of the cyclone’s impact, which is being termed as one of the worst flooding disasters to hit Sri Lanka in decades. 

Over half of the people in the flooded areas were living in households already facing multiple vulnerabilities before the cyclone, including unstable income, high debt, and limited ability to cope with disasters. Under these conditions, even moderate shocks can turn into long-lasting setbacks.

The floodwaters reached nearly 720,000 buildings, about one in every twelve buildings in the country. Over 16,000 kilometres of roads, enough to circle the island’s coastline more than twelve times, were exposed to flooding. Similarly, over 278 km of railway tracks and 480 bridges were located in flooded areas.

“Cyclone Ditwah struck regions already weakened by years of economic stress,” said Azusa Kubota, UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka.

The exposed population includes approximately 1.2 million women, 522,000 children and 263,000 older persons, with over 60% of all exposed people living in just two districts (Colombo and Gampaha). Many in affected areas across the country live in high-risk, disaster-prone areas, requiring a permanent solution. This concentration of exposure is placing heavy pressure on essential services.

“Where high flooding and high vulnerability overlap, recovery is likely to be slower and more costly. Early action in these locations is critical,” Kubota said.

In the country’s hilly inland, the cyclone triggered around 1,200 landslides. These events can isolate at-risk communities by disrupting access to essential services such as health care and slowing rescue operations. 

“Cyclone Ditwah is a stark reminder of how fast compounding crises can unfold,” said Devanand Ramiah, Chief of Crisis Readiness, Response, and Recovery at UNDP’s Crisis Bureau.

Working closely with the national authorities and partners, UNDP is calling for scaled-up early recovery support to help communities get back on their feet. This includes restoring essential services, supporting affected households, particularly women, children, and older persons, repairing key transport and service-delivery infrastructure, and strengthening local systems for future climate resilience. 

“After one of its worst economic crises and a slow but steady recovery underway, Sri Lanka cannot shoulder more debt to cover the costs of a rebuild from this massive natural disaster”, said Azusa Kubota. “International partners must step up with affordable financing and innovative instruments that enable a rapid recovery and rebuilding with greater resilience, without the country falling off the debt cliff. UNDP, with the UN family, is working with the government, our partners and communities to support those most affected through immediate relief and early recovery efforts. The ‘rebuild stronger and better’ is essential and will take time.”

Analysis and a full set of data are available here: Mapping the initial impact of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka (Newswire)

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‘Cyclone Ditwah’ is predicted to move away from Sri Lanka tomorrow (29), according to BBC Weather. 

Per the weather forecast, the cyclone is currently moving northwards away from Central Sri Lanka and towards India.

The weather advisory for Friday night to Saturday says Sri Lanka is to experience less rain and drier conditions on Saturday. (Newswire)

‘Cyclone Ditwah’ is predicted to move away from Sri Lanka tomorrow (29), according to BBC Weather.

Per the weather forecast, the cyclone is currently moving northwards away from Central Sri Lanka and towards India.

The weather advisory for Friday night to Saturday says Sri… pic.twitter.com/z97D4tFDMK

— NewsWire (@NewsWireLK) November 28, 2025

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