Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday, 2 December 2025 03:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
 |
| President Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
The Cabinet has approved the establishment of the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund as a statutory mechanism under the Presidential Secretariat to finance the country’s medium- and long-term recovery from Cyclone Ditwah.
A public–private Management Committee has been appointed to oversee the mobilisation and allocation of resources for reconstruction. The Fund will integrate both the public and private sectors to mobilise resources for rebuilding the country’s essential infrastructure, such as highways and irrigation systems damaged by the recent disaster.
The newly appointed Management Committee will be chaired by Labour Minister and Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, with Senior Additional Secretary to the President G.M.R.D. Aponsu serving as Convenor.
The Committee includes senior Government officials and leading private sector representatives from Hayleys, John Keells, Aitken Spence, Brandix, and LOLC. It has been mandated to administer the Fund, set priorities, disburse resources, and maintain full transparency in financial operations. The Government has also released designated accounts at the Bank of Ceylon and multiple international correspondent banks to enable both domestic and overseas donors to contribute in several currencies.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during a meeting held on Sunday with a group of private sector investors highlighted the extent of the devastation caused by floods and landslides, noting that the damage is far greater than what is visible on the surface. He emphasised that the Treasury alone cannot bear the full financial burden of recovery.
President Dissanayake further noted that funds for reconstruction could be mobilised through multiple channels, including local contributions, the Sri Lankan expatriates, foreign Governments, international organisations, and business associations. The coordination and management of these efforts will primarily be entrusted to the appointed Committee.
He further pointed out that houses, farmlands, plantations, highways, bridges, Government buildings, schools, and even electricity poles have been destroyed as a result of the disaster. Landslides have caused extensive damage to road networks, which will require major rehabilitation.
The President also noted that the Government has begun discussions with the World Bank to prepare a detailed assessment of the damage across sectors and the financial requirements for reconstruction. The World Bank has already been commissioned to conduct the Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE). The Government expects to receive the GRADE assessment within approximately two weeks.
The management committee comprises the following: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry Director General – Europe and North America Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Senior Additional Secretary to the President G.M.R.D. Aponsu, Senior Adviser to the President Duminda Hulangamuwa, Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof, Labour Minister and Deputy Finance and Planning Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando,'Hayleys Group Executive Chairman Mohan Pandithage, John Keells Holdings Chairperson/CEO Krishan Balendra, LOLC Executive Chairman Ishara Nanayakkara, Aitken Spence Deputy Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake and Brandix CEO Ashroff Omar.
1,000 killed in floods across Asia
Floods across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia have killed over 1,000 people in less than a week. At least 593 people have been reported killed in Indonesia, 335 in Sri Lanka, 176 in Thailand and three in Malaysia.
Ditwah death toll rises to 366, over 1.1 m people affected
Sri Lanka’s flood and landslide emergency intensified yesterday in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, with the Disaster Management Centre reporting 366 deaths, 367 people missing and 1,151,776 individuals affected across 25 districts as of 12 p.m. on 1 December.
The latest situation report shows that 316,366families have been impacted, reflecting the scale of the crisis as authorities widen response efforts.
The DMC said 1,564 safety centres are now operating island-wide and are sheltering 61,612 families, totalling 218,526 displaced people.
Many of these centres are congested and coping with limited resources, while access to some affected areas remains restricted by washed-out roads, submerged settlements and continuing rains.
As of 10:00 a.m. yesterday, the highest number of casualties has been reported from the central region. Kandy recorded 88 deaths and 150 missing, the largest figure for any district, as rescuers contend with landslides and unstable slopes.
Badulla has reported 71 deaths and 53 missing, with teams continuing to search through areas cut off by earth slips and debris. Nuwara Eliya reported 75 deaths and 62 missing, with persistent rainfall hampering clearing operations and assessments.
Large population centres in the Western Province and North Western Province are among the districts with the highest number of people affected or displaced.
Gampaha has reported 218,899 affected persons with 4,799 families housed in safety centres. Colombo has recorded 218,123 affected individuals and 5,303 displaced families in shelters. Puttalam, one of the earliest districts hit by rising water levels, has reported 173,165 affected persons and 4,104 families in relief centres.
Mannar, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa are also experiencing significant displacement, each hosting thousands of evacuees in temporary shelters.
Mannar has 79,946 affected people and 5,273 families in centres. Trincomalee has 71,944 affected persons, with nearly 5,000 families now housed in 53 shelters. Anuradhapura has reported 30,703 affected persons and 2,497 displaced families, while Polonnaruwa has 24,845 affected individuals and 3,472 families in centres.
Northern districts, including Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya, have recorded lower fatalities but continue to report substantial displacement. Mullaitivu has 102 safety centres accommodating 1,410 families. Jaffna has 57 centres housing 1,619 families. Kilinochchi and Vavuniya have reported steady increases in evacuees as flood levels rise across low-lying pockets.
Southern districts such as Matara, Hambantota and Galle remain comparatively less affected, with limited displacement and isolated damage reports. However, disaster officials warned that conditions could deteriorate depending on the next spell of rainfall and the rate at which reservoirs and rivers continue to swell.
Emergency response units have been deployed across all provinces, supported by the military, police and local authorities. Evacuations, supply distribution and clearance of blocked access routes continued through the day, although officials acknowledged that shortages of clean water, medical care and fuel for generators were already placing pressure on several large shelters.
The DMC said that figures are likely to change as assessments progress and access improves to isolated or cut-off villages. Officials said district-level reporting teams are continuing to compile updates as weather conditions evolve.
