Sri Lanka’s parliament will interrupt its recess to fast-track financial aid needed for rebuilding after Cyclone Ditwah, which killed nearly 650 people, officials said Sunday (December 14, 2025).

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had said last week that the island nation would need at least $1.66 billion in 2026 — in addition to the $166 million he said the government would spend this year — to rebuild and recover from what he described as the “most challenging natural disaster” to hit the country.

Parliament Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne on Sunday issued a notice for an urgent meeting of the legislature, which had gone into recess after approving the 2026 budget earlier this month and was not scheduled to meet again until January 6.

“I have summoned the parliament to meet on Thursday (18th)… having been requested so to do by the Hon. Prime Minister (Harini Amarasuriya),” the Speaker said in a gazette notification.

Officials at the country’s finance ministry told AFP that the meeting was being held to approve next year’s expenditure for cyclone recovery.

Official figures show that 643 people were killed, with another 184 still missing, following landslides and floods triggered by the cyclone.

At least 2.3 million people — just over 10% of the country’s population — were affected by the devastating calamity. Nearly 75,000 people remain housed in state-run camps.

An official leading the recovery effort has estimated that overall damage could cost up to $7 billion.

The United Nations last week set up a $35.3 million fund to provide food and temporary shelter to 658,000 of the worst-affected people.

The fund excludes reconstruction of damaged infrastructure or private property and focuses solely on immediate basic needs.

The United Nations’ top envoy to the country, Marc-Andre Franche, said last week $9.5 million had already been secured, with the European Union, Switzerland, Britain and the United States among donors pledging funds.

The United Nations urged member states and other donors to help raise the remaining $25.8 million.

A quarter of Sri Lanka’s population was living in poverty when the cyclone struck, Franche said, urging the international community to assist the devastated nation.

Sri Lanka is also recovering from its worst-ever financial crisis.

It defaulted on $46 billion of external debt in April 2022 and secured a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund in early 2023.

The United Nations is set to mobilise $35 million grant for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka in the next four years as the island nation is unable to afford debts after the economic crisis and the debt default, a U.N. official said on Thursday (December 11, 2025). 

The U.N. and humanitarian partners launched post Ditwah Humanitarian Priorities Plan (HPP) for Sri Lanka, which covers immediate life-saving assistance in education, food security, agriculture and nutrition, health, protection, shelter, non-food items, camp coordination, water, sanitation and hygiene and early recovery, Marc-Andre Franche, the U.N.  Resident Coordinator, told reporters.

At least 638 people have died, and 193 are missing as of Sunday (December 7, 2025), 6 a.m., due to the catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.

“Cyclone Ditwah has hit the poorest and the most vulnerable the hardest”, Mr. Franche said.

“The disaster has confounded the impact after Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, where 25% of the population is living in poverty”, he added.

The U.N. called on the international community to contribute towards HPP.

The U.N. has already received $9.5 million for the initiative with the support extended by Australia, Canada, the European Union Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, Adaderana quoted Mr. Franche as saying. He noted they are seeking to mobilise a further $26 million in the coming months with a coordinated programme.

“While initial contributions from bilateral partners and 4.5 million dollars from the U.N. Central Emergency Fund are enabling rapid assistance, significant gaps remain,” he said.

Mr. Franche said protection risks are increasing with crowded shelters and limited facilities. “An estimated 4,62,000 children are among those affected by the cyclone,” he added.

Last week, Cyclone Ditwah unleashed Sri Lanka’s worst natural disaster in more than two decades, after the Indian Ocean tsunami struck in 2004. The devastation from torrential rain, floods, and landslides is still unfolding, with 611 reported dead as of Saturday evening, and at least 213 still missing.

The cyclone battered the entire island, severely impacting 22 of its 25 districts. A United Nations-backed ‘Rapid Needs Assessment’ has flagged a high risk of food insecurity, severe crop damage, and widespread destruction of crucial infrastructure, including railway lines, roads, buildings, and electricity and telecom networks. Primary Health Centres across the nation’s villages and hundreds of schools have also been damaged.

The highest fatalities so far have been reported from Kandy, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, and Matale districts, located in the island’s central and southern hill country, where a large number of Malaiyaha Tamil estate workers — one of Sri Lanka’s poorest communities — reside and work.

India was the first responder, mobilising its military personnel — particularly the National Disaster Response Force — to support Sri Lankan authorities in rescue efforts across the country, including in inundated and hard-to-access areas. Indian agencies rushed in field hospitals and are helping construct Bailey bridges to restore road access. While several countries are stepping in with financial aid and relief supplies, Sri Lanka has a long road to recovery, as communities affected rebuild their lives and livelihoods ravaged by the catastrophe.

(Text by Meera Srinivasan)

Photo:
Reuters

A drenched prince: Muddy floodwaters partially submerge a Buddha statue in Kelaniya following Cyclone Ditwah.

Photo:
Reuters

Grit through grief: In Kandy, people sift through the wreckage for survivors and possessions after landslides.

Photo:
Reuters

Desolate outlook: Amid the debris of a landslide in Gampola, Kandy, a woman holding a child observes the damage to a temple.

Photo:
AFP

Precious cargo: People carrying pets and other possessions make their way through a flooded street in Wellampitiya following heavy rain.

Rescue mission: Evacuation under way in Kotmale, Nuwara Eliya, for Indian passengers with the help of Sri Lankan authorities. Photo: Indian Air Force-X via ANI

Photo:
AFP

Picking up pieces: People salvage belongings from a flooded house after flash floods in Wellampitiya on the outskirts of Colombo.

Photo:
Reuters

For a spot of sun: Flood-hit residents collect their belongings from railway tracks in Kandy after drying them.

Photo:
AFP

On the edge: A damaged house perches dangerously at a landslide site in Warathenna, Kandy.

Photo:
AFP

Heartwarming gesture: Helping hands assist an elderly man across a flooded street in Wellampitiya.

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha on Saturday (December 6, 2025) met Sri Lankan corporate leaders and reiterated India’s continued support for the cyclone-hit island nation, where the disaster has claimed over 600 lives so far.

Mr. Jha’s meeting with the corporate leaders associated with the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund’ came as Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse following Cyclone Ditwah.

As many as 607 people have died so far in the disaster, which also left several districts isolated and acutely strained the country’s disaster-response capacity.

Mr. Jha met the corporate leaders to discuss the “way ahead for rehabilitation and recovery”, the Indian High Commission said in an X post.

He also briefed them on the elements of “India‘s response and continued commitment to stand by Sri Lanka in its resurgence from this crisis,” it added.

India was the first country to respond to Sri Lanka’s international appeal for assistance under its Operation Sagar Bandhu.

Its humanitarian assistance has continued across land and air, focusing on both emergency response and sustained medical care, the Indian mission said in a press release.

Since the launch of Operation Sagar Bandhu on November 28, India has provided more than 58 tonnes of relief material including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, water purification kits and around 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment.

Sting in the tail: on Cyclone Ditwah, its impact

Another 50 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, and Outboard Motors, have been provided, and 130 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units have been airlifted along with 31 engineers to restore critical connectivity.

Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, conducted rescue and relief operations, evacuating around 150 stranded persons. A full-fledged field hospital with 78 medical personnel from India is now providing life-saving care in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy.

Indian Air Force at the frontline of aerial operations

Medical centres have also been set up from the BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri). Arogya Maitri cubes in the badly hit Ja-Ela and Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri and INS Sukanya have provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka. Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material.

Further, about 2,500 stranded Indians were evacuated from Sri Lanka, including more than 400 on IAF aircraft.

The NDRF teams, which returned home on Friday, worked closely with Sri Lankan authorities and conducted extensive search, rescue and relief operations.

The teams evacuated around 150 people, assisted vulnerable groups including pregnant women and the physically challenged, recovered the deceased, distributed food packets, and restored safe water by de-watering contaminated wells. IAF helicopters remain at the frontline of aerial operations, safely airlifting those affected from Kotmale to Katunayake on Thursday for further medical care and support.

On Friday, Indian MI-17 helicopters evacuated 7 survivors and airlifted 9.5 tons of relief material under the coordination of Sri Lankan authorities, the Indian mission said.

As India continued to extend its humanitarian assistance to cyclone-battered Sri Lanka under “Operation Sagar Bandhu”, a C-17 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday (December 3, 2025) airlifted a 65-tonne Bailey Bridge from Hindan to Colombo.

A Bailey bridge is a portable, prefabricated modular structure, commonly used in flood-hit areas to reconnect two separated regions.

The visuals shared by the Ministry of Defence shows the IAF personnel involved in the coordinated rescue, medical, and relief operations in the aftermath of cyclone Ditwah which has claimed the lives of at least 479 people as of Wednesday (December 3) evening.

Meanwhile, IAF’s Mi-17 V5 helicopters carried out sustained missions, delivering nine tonnes of relief material and rescuing three survivors from affected areas, the defence ministry said.

India has continued its humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu, with extensive air, sea and ground operations delivering urgent relief to those affected by Cyclone Ditwah, the Indian High Commission said on Wednesday (December 3, 2025). The neighbouring country has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country’s disaster-response capacity.

On November 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of “Operation Sagar Bandhu” to assist Sri Lanka in its hour of crisis, boosting Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts.

Sri Lankah on Wednesday (December 3) declared 22 of the island’s 25 administrative districts as ‘disaster zones’ in the aftermath of massive devastation due to the cyclone, which made landfall on November 25.

Over 1.4 million people have been affected, with more than 2,33,000 sheltering in 1,441 relief centres, the Sri Lankan government data said.

With PTI inputs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday (December 1, 2025), and assured India’s continued support under Operation Sagar Bandhu that was launched to help the island nation as it continues to deal with the devastation caused by cyclone Ditwah.

“Spoke with President Dissanayake and conveyed heartfelt condolences on the tragic loss of lives and the widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. As a close and trusted friend, India stands firmly beside Sri Lanka and its people in this difficult hour. India will continue to extend all necessary support under the ongoing Operation Sagar Bandhu for relief and rescue efforts and will stand with Sri Lanka in the days ahead as it undertakes rehabilitation and recovery,” Prime Minister Modi said in a message on X. President Dissanayake conveyed the appreciation of the people of Sri Lanka for India’s humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).

After Sri Lanka sought international help to support rescue efforts, India sent immediate assistance from INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri and MI-17 helicopters to assist people with relief items and rescue operations. So far under Operation Sagar Bandhu, nationals of Sri Lanka, India, Germany, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Poland, Belarus, Iran, Australia, Pakistan and Bangladesh have been rescued, said a government statement.

NDRF teams that were dispatched on November 29 have been continuing with “search and rescue” operations in various heavily affected regions of Sri Lanka. India has so far handed over 53 tonnes of relief material to Sri Lanka, an official press release has said.

India on Friday (November 28, 2025) delivered essential relief supplies to cyclone-battered Sri Lanka with Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying to the island nation that New Delhi stands ready provide more aid to it to deal with the situation.

New Delhi launched “Operation Sagar Bandhu” to assist Sri Lanka in its hour of crisis and the first tranche of relief materials were handed after the consignments were transported by Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and frontline ship INS Udaigiri.

At least 56 people have been killed in Sri Lanka due to floods and landslides.

Over 43,900 people from 12,313 families have been hit by the extreme weather conditions, according to Sri Lankan authorities.

“My heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Ditwah. I pray for the safety, comfort and swift recovery of all affected families,” PM Modi said on social media.

In solidarity with our closest maritime neighbour, India has urgently dispatched relief materials and vital humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support under “Operation Sagar Bandhu”, he said.

“We stand ready to provide more aid and assistance as the situation evolves. Guided by India’s Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, India continues to stand firmly with Sri Lanka in its hour of need,” he added.

PM Modi announced the MAHASAGAR or Mutual And Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions vision for India’s engagement with the Global South during his visit to Mauritius in March.

Separately External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced launching of ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’ to help Sri Lanka deal with deaths and destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Also read | Cyclone Ditwah LIVE: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin urges DMK cadres to stay alert, support people in view of Cyclone Ditwah

“Operation Sagar Bandhu commences. INS Vikrant and INS Udaigiri hand over relief material at Colombo. Further steps are underway,” he said.

India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, and latest indigenous stealth frigate INS Udaygiri are in Sri Lanka to participate at a three-day International Fleet Review (IFR) that began on Thursday (November 27, 2025).

The event is being hosted to mark the Sri Lanka Navy’s 75th anniversary. It features participation of naval ships from several countries.

Sri Lankan defence officials said INS Vikrant was formally requested for use of its aircraft for ongoing rescue and relief operations for the cyclone relief operations.