Nearly Rs. 700 m raised for ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’

Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma 

Sri Lanka’s post-cyclone recovery has entered a critical rebuilding phase, with Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma yesterday announcing that almost Rs. 700 million has already been collected through official donation accounts, driven by contributions from over 30,000 donors across 33 countries.

In a special statement issued, he detailed the latest progress of the Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund and the wider restoration effort underway across the country. Providing the first financial update since the official donation channels were activated, Dr. Suriyapperuma said the Bank of Ceylon’s dedicated account has received over Rs. 635 million from more than 30,470 individual deposits within just a few days. 

Accounts set up at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) have attracted over Rs. 61 million, bringing the total to over Rs. 697.4 million.

“Donations have flowed in from Sri Lankans and well-wishers from 33 countries, with the highest contributions recorded from France, followed by Canada, the US, Italy, and South Korea. We are really appreciative of both individuals as well as collective efforts to support Sri Lanka’s rebuilding journey,” he said.

Dr. Suriyapperuma said the outpouring of support from local agencies, international partners and Sri Lankans overseas has been overwhelming. “There’s a lot of compassion and support from everyone involved in the process,” he said, noting increasing requests from organisations and individuals seeking to assist with both recovery and long-term rebuilding.

Customs house agents and trade associations have volunteered to expedite the clearance of relief shipments arriving from overseas. “These goods will be cleared and handed over to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), which will coordinate sending them to the people in need at the earliest possible,” he said.

With rescue operations winding down, he said the Government has now shifted focus to reopening access between cut-off areas, clearing debris, and restoring basic connectivity. “Vehicles can start moving between the areas that were cut off due to landslides and other destruction. The cleaning up exercise and removal of debris are being carried out with significant facilitation from many Government agencies,” he added.

The Treasury Secretary also confirmed that multilateral assistance is already being mobilised. The World Bank has begun the Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Assessment, which is expected to be completed within two weeks. “Data is imperative. It will enable the Government and other agencies to work with more information at hand,” he noted, adding that the Finance Ministry, the DMC, and the national task force led by the Sri Lanka Customs Director General are coordinating the process.

As Sri Lanka prepares for the next phase, Dr. Suriyapperuma said Government agencies are working to restore essential services including electricity, water, telecommunications, and road access, while clearing damaged schools, hospitals, and public buildings to allow displaced families in temporary shelters to return home as soon as possible.

He stressed the importance of coordinated national action. “Citizens, individuals, corporates, and both Government and non-Government agencies have come forward to assist. That coordinated mechanism is allowing the Government to reach people in need as early as possible,” he pointed out.

Dr. Suriyapperuma said the Treasury will continue to release regular updates as the rebuilding effort progresses, whilst thanking all contributors for supporting the country at what he described as a ‘pivotal moment in Sri Lanka’s recovery.’