The Cabinet has approved two major loan schemes to support businesses affected by Cyclone Ditwah, aimed at reactivating micro, small and medium‑scale enterprises and providing capital assistance for recovery.

The RE‑MSME Disaster Relief Loan Scheme and the Expanded Disaster Relief (EDR) Loan Scheme will be implemented during 2025 and 2026 with an allocation of Rs. 10,000 million. 

The programs are designed to provide immediate financial relief to restart businesses quickly after disasters and to accelerate the restoration of the national economy. 

From 2026 onwards, the two schemes will operate as a combined program. Under the initiative, Rs. 8,061.4 million in loan funds has already been arranged for 3,968 enterprises affected by the cyclone, with the participation of 15 financial institutions.

The progress of the schemes was presented to the Cabinet by the President, in his capacity as Minister of Finance.

The Cabinet formally took note of the update. (Newswire)

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The National Building Research Institute (NBRI) is fast‑tracking technical inspections to support the resettlement of families living in high landslide‑risk areas of Badulla District following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

According to officials, NBRI has already examined lands across 15 Divisional Secretariat divisions, with detailed technical reports submitted to the respective local offices.

Out of 177 land plots requested for inspection under the government resettlement program, NBRI has cleared 113 plots covering nearly 280 acres as safe and suitable. Technical reports for all these plots have been handed over, enabling development and construction to proceed without obstacles.

For families opting to purchase lands or houses individually, NBRI field officers inspected 552 out of 630 requests. 

Of these, 423 lands and houses were confirmed as technically suitable, with recommendations forwarded to Divisional Secretariat offices. Resettlement on these sites can also move ahead unhindered.

The NBRI stressed that by expediting construction and project implementation through Divisional Secretariats and related institutions, resettlement efforts can be completed swiftly. (Newswire)

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The government has announced a project to repair 14 bridges damaged by Cyclone Ditwah across the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North Western, North Central, and Eastern provinces.

The People’s Republic of China has agreed to provide financial assistance for the initiative. 

The project will be carried out in two phases, with the first phase lasting 18 months to repair 9 bridges. China is expected to provide 7,929 million Renminbi for the repair work.

An agreement is to be signed between the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Chinese government. 

The Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, officially declaring the initiative a definite government project. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Defence has directed District Secretaries to expedite the release of disaster relief allocations, after it was revealed that only 30% of the funds disbursed for rehabilitation and reconstruction following Cyclone Ditwah have been utilized to date.

According to the state-owned newspaper Silumina, Treasury reports show that the National Disaster Relief Services Centre released Rs. 86.7 billion between January and July 2026 for compensation payments and infrastructure development in flood‑ and landslide‑affected areas. However, just Rs. 26.4 billion, about 30%, has been spent, leaving Rs. 60.3 billion still unused.

In a letter dated August 12, the Additional Secretary of the Disaster Management Division instructed District Secretaries to ensure the remaining 70% is released to beneficiaries without delay.

The report also highlighted slow progress in resettlement efforts. Of Rs. 1.05 billion allocated for relocating affected families, only Rs. 190 million (18%) had been spent by July 31, leaving Rs. 868 million (82%) unutilized. 

Officials stressed the need to accelerate resettlement programmes and infrastructure development, noting that an additional Rs. 1.94 billion in allocations is expected to be provided.

Meanwhile, immediate relief measures have seen stronger progress. By July 31, 85% of Rs. 7.6 billion released for urgent assistance to disaster‑hit communities had already reached beneficiaries.

Authorities emphasized that timely disbursement of funds is critical to restoring livelihoods and rebuilding infrastructure in areas devastated by Cyclone Ditwah. (Newswire)

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Nearly 12,000 people, including about 3,000 children, affected by Cyclone Ditwah will receive vital cash assistance, protection, and psychosocial support under a new €1 million initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by Save the Children. 

Targeting the hardest‑hit central highland districts of Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, and Kandy, the program aims to help thousands of displaced families rebuild their lives with dignity months after Sri Lanka’s worst landslides and flooding in decades. 

According to a statement from Save the Children, the disaster triggered the country’s worst landslides and flooding in decades, affecting over 2.2 million people, claiming hundreds of lives, and devastating livelihoods.

Months later, thousands of families remain displaced, and children continue to experience deep emotional distress alongside severely disrupted household incomes. As the immediate life-saving needs have reduced and the response shifts toward long-term stabilisation, this EU-funded project will help more than 4,000 most vulnerable households, including women and persons with disabilities, rebuild their lives with dignity.

Save the Children states that by combining multi-purpose cash assistance with integrated protection and psychosocial support interventions, the programme allows families to meet immediate priority needs while addressing the broader psychological impacts of the crisis. Community-based emotional support will be delivered through TeamUp, developed by Save the Children and War Child that ensures children can reduce stress, start to feel safe, learn to deal with their emotions and build resilience through play with their peers.

Julian Chellappah, Response Team Lead, Save the Children in Sri Lanka said: “Months after Cyclone Ditwah, families are still struggling not only with financial hardship, but also with the protection risks that come with the prolonged disruption to their lives. Through this EUR 1 million humanitarian investment, EU humanitarian aid is supporting locally grounded recovery efforts that strengthen both immediate assistance and longer-term community resilience. Children in particular are facing uncertainty, distress and instability as they try to recover. This response recognises that recovery must address both immediate economic needs and the safety, wellbeing and protection of children and vulnerable groups.”

By partnering with national civil society organisations, including the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, the Centre for Children’s Happiness, and the Foundation for Innovative Social Development, that have strong community presence, local knowledge and technical expertise, Save the Children aims to address continuing vulnerabilities, reduce protection risks and support affected populations to recover with dignity while strengthening wellbeing, safety and community resilience. With their strong community presence and technical expertise, the EU-funded programme reinforces the importance of locally driven humanitarian action as climate-related shocks place increasing pressure on vulnerable communities across Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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The Cabinet has approved a comprehensive program to support communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, aimed at restoring livelihoods and strengthening resilience in the hardest‑hit districts.

The initiative, proposed by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, focuses on immediate relief and long‑term recovery measures.

Key measures approved:

• Monthly rent support for displaced families without homes is extended from 6 months to 9 months.
• Paddy fields damaged by debris (stones, soil, sand) are to be cleared and prepared for cultivation, based on estimates approved by district agricultural officials.
• Rockfall and landslide‑prone sites are to be stabilized under the Ministry of Defence’s Landslide Mitigation Program, following recommendations of the National Building Research Organization.
• Financial provisions for relief and reconstruction to be allocated directly by the Treasury from disaster relief funds. (Newswire)

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A special discussion on resolving issues in Sri Lanka’s ornamental fish production and export sector and advancing the industry was held this week(18) at the Ministry premises under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Rathna Gamage.

Leading ornamental fish producers and exporters from across the island participated in the meeting, where it was decided to expedite the next steps of the operational plan being implemented through the National Aquatic Resources Development Authority (NAQDA).

During the meeting, Deputy Minister Gamage emphasized that a new transparent import mechanism will be introduced to prevent setbacks caused by previous restrictions. 

Entrepreneurs will be permitted to legally import fish species based on business needs, while revisions to the list of prohibited species will allow stakeholders to present their views before an expert committee.

Attention was also directed toward relief for small‑scale producers affected by Cyclone ‘Ditwah’. 

The Deputy Minister announced that financial assistance of Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 50,000 will be provided promptly to those who suffered losses, offering vital support to farmers struggling even to purchase fish feed.

It was further agreed to hold direct discussions with industry stakeholders every two to three months to continuously monitor progress and resolve issues. (Newswire)

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The National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) under the Ministry of Defence today launched its new digital Compensation Management System and the Community Inquiry Mechanism, funded by the Government of Norway and supported by UNICEF Sri Lanka and UN Volunteers. 

Issuing a joint statement, the entities said that this is a major step forward in ensuring faster, more transparent and accessible support for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah. 

The launch of these digital systems was held at the BMICH in the presence of Deputy Defence Minister, Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara.

The new digitized Compensation Management System is designed to ease the administrative burden on government officials and disaster-affected families by replacing time-consuming, manual procedures with a streamlined digital process. 

For survivors of the Ditwah cyclone, many of whom suffered loss of loved ones, homes and livelihoods, the system removes the need to travel long distances or make repeated visits to government agencies to submit claims. Instead, they can file compensation requests online via their Grama Niladhari officers, reducing wait times and making the process simpler and more efficient.

Another key component- the Community Inquiry Mechanism, which was also launched today, will facilitate the systematic management of inquiries received from affected communities regarding cyclone Ditwah disaster relief, including allowances and compensations, rehabilitation, and resettlement services. 

The Inquiry Mechanism allows affected communities to submit their queries directly to the NDRSC via a QR code or by calling the 0716 807 807 hotline, operational on weekdays from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm, in Sinhala, Tamil, or English. 

Every inquiry, following an initial review, will be referred to the relevant national or divisional-level NDRSC officers for necessary action and follow-up. During the submission of a query, every individual will be issued a unique reference code through which they will be able to track the status of their inquiries via the QR code or hotline. 

Senior Assistant Secretary of the NDRSC, Namal Liyanage, noted that these digital systems mark a new chapter in how Sri Lanka responds to disasters and will be vital in improving their response time during emergency situations. “In a crisis, immediate response is crucial. These digitized systems transform our ability to act quickly, providing us with the precise tools needed to meet the urgent needs of our people. We are setting a new benchmark for transparency and efficiency in how we support every family hit by disaster.”

These efforts, supported under the UN Humanitarian Priorities Plan (HPP), align with the Government’s national digitalization priorities, enhancing service efficiency and responsiveness. UNICEF Sri Lanka, which provided technical support for the establishment of the systems as well as capacity building of the officials handling the processes, underscored the need for people-centered assistance for disaster-affected communities. 

“Access to timely support is not a privilege – it is a right for every affected family. These systems deliver dignity, speed, and fairness, so children and their families can begin rebuilding with confidence. They also strengthen response efforts by upholding accountability to affected people through prompt information sharing, understanding community needs and effectively managing and following up on inquiries,” said Emma Brigham, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka.

“The commitment of 34 UN Volunteers – bridging technical expertise and community reach – was central to making these systems a reality. From ICT specialists who built platforms to community volunteers gathering data across districts, they transformed a digital solution into meaningful support” UN Volunteers Sri Lanka, Country Coordinator, Sharmalee Jayasinghe said. 

These system-strengthening efforts are expected to be further reinforced through potential collaborations between the NDRSC, the Welfare Benefits Board, and the Election Commission. 

The digitization of disaster relief services is a key step in modernizing public service delivery. It also helps ensure that disaster response truly serves those most affected. For families rebuilding after the Ditwah cyclone, it brings quicker support and less strain at a time when every hour matters, helping them move forward with greater security and hope, the statement added. (Newswire)

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A Disaster Relief Services Officer in the Monaragala District has been dismissed following allegations of misusing compensation funds provided for victims of Cyclone Ditwah.

According to the Government Information Department, the Grama Niladhari officer was removed from duty after complaints surfaced about irregularities in the handling of relief allocations.

The Grama Niladhari officer has been transferred to another division to facilitate ongoing investigations. (Newswire) 

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Deputy Minister of Transport Prasanna Gunasena carried out an observation visit to review the progress of the upcountry railway line restoration following severe damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah. 

The Ministry of Transport said the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) is spearheading engineering investigations and design work to restore the upcountry railway line.

According to the Ministry, the disaster caused 97 incidents along the Maradana–Peradeniya main line, including landslides, soil washouts, rock falls, and damage to bridges and culverts.

Of these, 92 sites have already been restored through the Railway Department’s efforts, while work continues at five more locations between Rambukkana and Kadugannawa.

The ministry further said that the NBRO is conducting specialized engineering studies to address the complexities of the restoration process, ensuring long‑term stability and safety of the railway infrastructure.

To support the work, a service train has been operating between Rambukkana and Kadigamuwa since May 3, transporting raw materials required for repairs.

The Ministry added that restoration efforts are progressing steadily. (Newswire)

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The government has decided to launch two major relief programs to support communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah; an interim housing project for displaced families and a reconstruction program for damaged religious sites.

Under the first initiative, an interim housing construction project will be implemented for 1,000 families who lost their homes in the cyclone and are currently living in safe centres, tents, and partly damaged houses across four districts. Official data show that the cyclone destroyed 6,088 houses and partially damaged more than 115,000. As of 22 April 2026, 494 families remained in 20 safe centres in Kegalle, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Badulla, while others continued to reside in temporary shelters and damaged homes.

Authorities had earlier introduced a monthly rental allowance of Rs. 25,000 for families who lost their homes due to landslides and floods, but securing rental houses in the affected areas has proven difficult. 

To address this, the Cabinet approved a proposal by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Defence, to construct interim housing units based on plans prepared by the National Building Research Organization, with the labour contribution of the Sri Lanka Army. The project aims to provide stable living conditions until permanent housing solutions are completed.

In addition, the government has decided to rebuild and repair religious sites damaged by Cyclone Ditwah to ensure worship activities can resume without disruption. 

The Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, together with the Department of Religious Affairs, has planned a coordinated effort to restore temples, churches, and other places of worship affected by the disaster.

Under the Cabinet‑approved proposal, religious sites that were completely destroyed will be rebuilt at their original locations, with priority given to constructing monks’ residences, Dharma halls, main temples, churches, sanitary facilities, and essential water and electricity infrastructure. 

Relief up to Rs. 7.5 million will be provided for such construction. For religious sites partially damaged, up to Rs. 5 million will be allocated for repairs, while minor damages will also be addressed through restoration work. (Newswire)

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The first stage of cheque distribution under the government’s relief programme for families affected by Cyclone Ditwah was carried out today in the Badulla Divisional Secretariat Division.

A total of 23 families received housing assistance cheques during a ceremony held at the Uva Provincial Council. 

The initiative marks the beginning of financial support aimed at helping affected households rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by the cyclone.

According to officials, families whose houses were completely destroyed will receive Rs. 500,000 each, while those whose homes were partially damaged will be granted Rs. 50,000, the minimum compensation amount provided without formal estimation.

Today’s distribution represents the initial phase of the relief programme, with further support expected as reconstruction efforts continue. (Newswire)

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials to ensure that the Government-approved compensation of Rs. 500,000 for houses partially damaged by Cyclone Ditwah is paid to all beneficiaries before the end of May, except in exceptional circumstances. 

The President instructed officials during a progress review meeting held today (22) at the Presidential Secretariat, which focused on compensation payments and the provision of new housing for residents whose homes were partially or fully damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.

According to the President’s Office, extensive discussions were also held on relocating those still living in camps to temporary housing until permanent homes are provided. 

The President instructed officials to identify suitable locations and to take the necessary steps to complete this process at the earliest. 

Attention was also given to relocating families residing in high-risk areas to safer locations. 

In addition, focus was placed on plans to construct housing complexes for residents who have not opted to receive compensation to purchase or build a new house. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development has announced that the sustainable redevelopment of roads damaged by Cyclone Ditwah has officially commenced in the Nuwara Eliya district, the area most severely affected by the disaster.

Minister Bimal Ratnayake yesterday (25) inaugurated the redevelopment of a 2.1 km stretch of the Peradeniya–Badulla main road at Kotmale- Gerandi Ella valued at Rs. 383 million. 

According to the Ministry, the project is scheduled for completion within six months, with construction carried out by local companies selected through competitive tendering under the consultancy of the Road Development Authority.

The Ministry stated that this initiative forms part of the government’s “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” national programme, aimed at restoring critical infrastructure to safer and more standardized conditions. 

Alongside the Kotmale project, three additional road developments have begun in the Nuwara Eliya district:

• Tawalantenne–Talawakele Road (B 412) – Rs. 296 million
• Harangala–Kalapitiya–Kumbaloluwa Road (B 148) – Rs. 302 million
• Nuwara Eliya Town Road (B 331) – Rs. 205 million

The Ministry states that these projects symbolize the government’s commitment to rebuilding and modernizing the transport network, ensuring resilience and safety for communities in disaster‑affected regions. (Newswire)

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The importance of gaining a clear understanding of how Sri Lanka’s responsible institutions operate during natural disasters such as Cyclone Ditwah was discussed at the first meeting of the Parliamentary Select Committee tasked with studying the country’s lack of preparedness.

The Committee, chaired by Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, convened in Parliament last week (19), during which Minister Jayatissa stressed that identifying institutional roles and responses is crucial to effectively carrying forward the Committee’s work.

To this end, members agreed to summon officials from the Disaster Management Centre, the Department of Meteorology, the Department of Irrigation, and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka to the next two meetings for preliminary briefings. It was also proposed that technical experts with specialized knowledge be called upon periodically to assist in clarifying complex matters.

According to a Parliament statement, the Committee is required to submit its report to Parliament within three months, by June 19, 2026. 

The Chair noted that the report will not only address the shortcomings revealed by Cyclone Ditwah but also include recommendations for establishing stronger mechanisms to respond effectively to future disasters.

The meeting was attended by Members of Parliament Anuradha Jayaratne, Hector Appuhamy, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, M.K.M. Aslam, Anushka Thilakaratne, Kanthasamy Prabhu, Ruwan Mapalagama, and Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa also participated with special permission from the Chair. (Newswire)

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Nearly four months after Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka in November, officials are still trying to salvage tens of thousands of damaged documents.

The storm’s impact went beyond homes and infrastructure, striking at the country’s administrative backbone by destroying vital records such as birth certificates and land deeds. 

According to Al Jazeera, restorers at Sri Lanka’s National Archives continue painstaking efforts to restore and preserve the damaged documents, with the Kandy Court Complex identified as one of the worst affected.

The United Nations and donors are helping with the challenging task. (Newswire/ Al Jazeera)

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The Civil Society Collective for Malaiyaha Reconstruction has presented a 15‑point set of demands to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, urging urgent action to address the plight of Hill Country Tamil families affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

The collective highlights that months after the disaster, hundreds of families remain in temporary shelters, unsafe houses, and dilapidated plantation buildings, with little clarity on resettlement or land release. They stress that the lack of policy direction and sluggish execution has left many without relief or compensation.

Among the key demands are financial support of up to Rs. 5 million for destroyed homes, equal access to relief without discrimination, formal land deeds for housing, transitional shelters meeting humanitarian standards, and the rebuilding of estate settlements into integrated villages with proper infrastructure. 

The group also calls for women’s equal land rights, Tamil language accessibility in official communications, and government responsibility for repairing damaged estate infrastructure.

The collective insists that direct intervention by the President and Prime Minister is essential to clear policy gaps and expedite relief, while urging political parties and parliamentary representatives of the Malaiyaha people to unite in support of a dignified recovery. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, together with the Industrial Development Board (IDB), has concluded the first phase of the Industry Revival Facilitation Programme (IRFP), launched to assist industries affected by the Ditwah cyclone that struck Sri Lanka in late November 2025. 

The event was held yesterday (March 10) under the patronage of Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe.

The IRFP, initiated in December 2025 as a public–private partnership, brought together leading private sector organizations to support 43 industries impacted by the disaster. 

The Ministry honoured these organizations for their timely contributions, while special recognition was extended to individuals who volunteered expertise in establishing the Industry Disaster Support Centre (IDSC). Their efforts enabled the creation of a centralized database and digital data collection system to assess affected industries.

Among those recognized were Mr. Thilina Kurukulasuriya (Cloud Syntex Pvt Ltd), Mr. Ranga Dayawansha (Floodsupport.org), Mr. Sanjay Elvitigala (eLearning.lk Pvt Ltd), and Mr. Shageevan Sachithanandan.

Preliminary assessments estimate the total economic loss to the manufacturing sector at Rs. 33.96 billion, with raw material and inventory losses accounting for Rs. 10.2 billion. Significant damage was also reported in machinery, equipment, and revenue disruptions, largely due to factory flooding and supply chain interruptions.

Looking ahead, the Ministry announced plans to launch the Industry Development Foster Program (IDFP) to support long‑term recovery and development of industries identified during the initial assessments. (Newswire)

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The Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has discussed the progress of disaster relief provided to the public affected by Cyclone Ditwah, with officials stating that approximately Rs. 24.4 billion has so far been released under various relief measures announced for those affected. 

While the majority of allowances for house cleaning, purchase of household items, and assistance for schoolchildren have already been distributed, officials explained that delays in housing reconstruction and rental assistance payments have occurred due to processes such as damage assessments and land identification. Officials further clarified the verification procedures and accountability mechanisms in place. Committee members highlighted the difficulties faced by those expecting relief payments and stressed that housing assistance in particular should be expedited.

Officials of the National Insurance Trust Fund (NITF) also explained their financial position and the reinsurance claims the Fund is required to settle following claims submitted by general insurance companies after Cyclone Ditwah. The estimated reinsurance claims payable by NITF currently amount to approximately Rs. 11 billion. Although NITF has not reinsured its risk exposure with an international reinsurer since 2023, officials stated that it has the capacity to settle the existing claims.

It was revealed that the Treasury maintains a significant cash buffer to meet the Government’s daily expenditure requirements, with approximately Rs. 750 billion available by the end of 2025. Due to payments made in December, the cash buffer had declined to this level, leading to increased issuance of Treasury bills from late December to mid-January, which in turn raised interest costs during that period. However, the situation has now stabilized. It was also noted that as the return earned from investing the cash buffer is approximately 2–3 per cent lower than the Government’s annual interest cost, maintaining such reserves entails an opportunity cost.

Attention was also drawn to the progress of the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO), which has been in operation for 14 months. It was observed that 90 percent of total staff recruitment has been completed. Officials have been provided with specialized local and international training to enhance professional capacity.

Although the Central Bank’s auction system is currently used for public debt management activities, steps are being taken to establish an independent system within the PDMO to enable full operational autonomy in the future.

The Committee observed that Sri Lanka’s total domestic debt stock amounts to Rs. 31 trillion, comprising Rs. 15.6 trillion in Treasury bills and Rs. 15.4 trillion in Treasury bonds. The average cost of this total debt is reported at 8.73 percent.

It was further noted that Sri Lanka’s total external debt servicing requirement for 2026 is projected at USD 2,504 million. Expected foreign inflows for that year amount to USD 2,100 million, including USD 858 million in project loans, USD 150 million in World Bank budget support, USD 380 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and USD 800 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Accordingly, a resource management gap exceeding USD 400 million remains to be addressed for 2026 debt servicing.

The matters were discussed when the Committee on Public Finance met in Parliament last week (17 Feb) under the chairmanship of MP Harsha de Silva, with the participation of Deputy Ministers Chathuranga Abeysinghe and Nishantha Jayaweera and MPs Ravi Karunanayake, Ajith Alahakoon, M.K.M. Aslam, Chitral Fernando, Wijesiri Basnayake, Sunil Rajapaksha, Nimal Palihena, Thilina Samarakoon and Champika Hettiarachchi. (Newswire)

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By Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives 

Three months after Cyclone Ditwah swept across Sri Lanka in late November 2025, the headlines have moved on. In many places, the floodwaters have receded, emergency support has reached affected communities, and farmers are doing what they always do, trying to salvage what they can and prepare for the next season. Yet the most important question now is not how quickly agriculture can return to “normal”.  It is whether Sri Lanka will rebuild in a way that breaks the cycle of risks that made Ditwah so devastating in the first place.

Ditwah was not simply a bad storm. It was a stress test for our food system, our land and water management, and the institutions meant to protect livelihoods. It showed, in harsh detail, how quickly losses multiply when farms sit in flood pathways, when irrigation and drainage are designed for yesterday’s rainfall, when safety nets are thin, and when early warnings do not consistently translate into early action.

In the immediate aftermath, the damage was rightly measured in flooded hectares, broken canals and damaged infrastructure, and families who lost a season’s worth of income overnight. Those impacts remain real. But three months on, the clearer lesson is why the shock travelled so far and so fast. Over time, exposure has become the default: cultivation and settlement have expanded into floodplains and unstable slopes, driven by land pressure and weak enforcement of risk-informed planning. Infrastructure that should cushion shocks, tanks, canals, embankments, culverts, too often became a failure point because maintenance has lagged and design standards have not kept pace with extreme weather. At farm level, production risk remains concentrated, with limited diversification and high sensitivity to a single event arriving at the wrong stage of the season. Meanwhile, indebted households with delayed access to liquidity struggled to recover, and the information reaching farmers was not always specific enough to prompt practical decisions at the right time.

If Sri Lanka takes only one message from Ditwah, it should be this: recovery spending, by itself, is not resilience. Rebuilding must reduce recurring losses, not merely replace what was damaged. That requires choices that are sometimes harder politically and administratively, but far cheaper than repeating the same cycle of emergency, repair, and regret.

First, Sri Lanka needs farming systems that do not collapse in an “all-or-nothing” way when water stays on fields for days. That means making diversification the norm, not the exception. It means supporting farmers to adopt crop mixes and planting schedules that spread risk, expanding the availability of stress-tolerant and short-duration varieties, and treating soil health and field drainage as essential productivity infrastructure. It also means paying far more attention to livestock and fisheries, where simple measures like safer siting, elevated shelters, protected feed storage, and better-designed ponds can prevent avoidable losses.

Second, we must stop rebuilding infrastructure to the standards of the past. Irrigation and drainage networks, rural roads, bridges, storage facilities and market access are not just development assets; they are risk management systems. Every major repair should be screened through a simple question: will this investment reduce risk under today’s and tomorrow’s rainfall patterns, or will it lock vulnerability in for the next 20 years? Design standards should reflect projected intensity, not historical averages. Catchment-to-field water management must combine engineered solutions with natural buffers such as wetlands, riparian strips and mangroves that reduce surge, erosion and siltation. Most importantly, hazard information must translate into enforceable land-use decisions, including where rebuilding should not happen and where fair support is needed for people to relocate or shift livelihoods safely.

Third, Sri Lanka must share risk more fairly between farmers, markets and the state. Ditwah exposed how quickly a climate shock becomes a debt crisis for rural households. Faster liquidity after a disaster is not a luxury; it is the difference between recovery and long-term impoverishment. Crop insurance needs to be expanded and improved beyond rice, including high-value crops, and designed for quicker payouts. At the national level, rapid-trigger disaster financing can provide immediate fiscal space to support early recovery without derailing budgets. Public funding and concessional climate finance should be channelled into a clear pipeline of resilience investments, rather than fragmented projects that do not add up to systemic change.

Fourth, early warning must finally become early action. We need not just better forecasts but clearer, localised guidance that farmers can act on, linked to reservoir levels, flood risk, and the realities of protecting seed, inputs and livestock. Extension services must be equipped for a climate era, with practical training in climate-smart practices and risk reduction. And the data systems across meteorology, irrigation, agriculture and social protection must talk to each other so that support can be triggered quickly when thresholds are crossed, instead of being assembled after losses are already locked in.

What does this mean in practice? Over the coming months, the focus should be on completing priority irrigation and drainage works with “build-back-better” standards, supporting replanting packages that include soil and drainage measures rather than seed alone, and preventing distress coping through temporary protection for the most vulnerable households. Over the next few years, the country should aim to roll out climate-smart production and advisory bundles in selected river basins, institutionalise agriculture-focused post-disaster assessments that translate into funded plans, and pilot shock-responsive safety nets and rapid-trigger insurance in cyclone-exposed districts. Over the longer term, repeated loss zones must be reoriented towards flood-compatible systems and slope-stabilising perennials, while catchment rehabilitation and natural infrastructure restoration are treated as productivity investments, not optional environmental add-ons.

None of this is abstract. The cost of inaction is paid in failed harvests, lost income, higher food prices and deeper rural debt. The opportunity is equally concrete: if Sri Lanka uses the post-Ditwah period to modernise agriculture making production more resilient, infrastructure smarter, finance faster and institutions more responsive, then Ditwah can become more than a disaster. It can become the turning point where the country decides to stop repairing vulnerability and start building resilience.

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