India has extended its humanitarian and infrastructure assistance from the island’s north to the northern Jaffna peninsula following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, India has deployed engineering and medical teams to restore damaged connectivity and support affected communities.

“As part of India’s continued assistance to Sri Lanka under ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’, the Indian High Commission in Colombo, Assistant High Commission in Kandy, and Consulate General of India in Jaffna conducted humanitarian assistance distribution drives for families affected by Cyclone Ditwah in different parts of the Island,” the release said.

“On December 18, High Commissioner of India Santosh Jha distributed relief kits among affected families in the Kolonnawa in coordination with ‘All Ceylon Sufi Spiritual Association’ and among children of Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home ‘Gokulam’ at ISKCON Temple in Colombo,” the release further stated.

“Earlier this month, the High Commissioner also distributed assistance among residents of Nayanalokagama, a village specially designated for the visually impaired, and among affected families in Negombo in Gampaha District,” the release added.

Between December 9 and 19, the Assistant High Commission of India in Kandy distributed essential food items and supplies among hundreds of affected families in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla Districts.

Similarly, the Consulate General of India in Jaffna carried out several distribution drives for affected families in Mannar, Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi, as well as the island territories of Jaffna District.

Several tonnes of food and relief material have been handed over by India to the Government of Sri Lanka under ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’.

On December 18, the Indian Army deployed engineers to Sri Lanka to assist in rebuilding critical infrastructure damaged by the cyclone.

“#OperationSagarBandhu restoring connectivity on the ground! @adgpi engineers are working steadily along the A35 near Kilinochchi, preparing and supporting bridge restoration efforts to reconnect disrupted road networks and ease movement for communities affected by #CycloneDitwah,” the mission posted on X.

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.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is exploring ways to support Sri Lanka in its recovery process following cyclone Ditwah, which has caused widespread destruction in the island nation and left more than 450 dead.

At a press briefing on Thursday (December 4, 2025), IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said the Washington-based global lender is “continuing to support Sri Lanka’s recovery, reform, and resilience under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement”. Ms. Kozack conveyed her deepest sympathies to those affected by the cyclone, and said the IMF is “closely engaging” with the Sri Lankan authorities, development partners, and other counterparts to assess its humanitarian-, social-, and economic impact.

“Staff and the Sri Lankan authorities reached an agreement on the fifth review back in October, before the cyclone. And at present, staff is looking into options to further support Sri Lanka in the recovery process,” Ms. Kozack said.

Sri Lanka is grappling with widespread flooding, landslips and severe infrastructural collapse triggered by cyclone Ditwah, which left several districts isolated and severely straining the country’s disaster-response capacity.

Ms. Kozack said an IMF board is “still expected” to meet on December 15 to discuss the next review of Sri Lanka’s EFF programme. Sri Lanka is expected to draw its sixth tranche of the nearly $3 billion IMF bailout, and the nation’s authorities are hopeful of its early release.

The 48-month extended fund-facility deal with the IMF in March 2023 carried hard reforms to Sri Lanka’s welfare-based governance. It was signed after Sri Lanka plunged into an unprecedented economic meltdown with its first-ever sovereign default.

On the IMF’s support to the island nation following the devastating cyclone, Ms. Kozack said, “We will be providing additional details as the assessment of economic needs and damages moves forward, and as we have more information that can inform our own thinking around the options for how we can further support Sri Lanka.”The island nation is in the process of estimating the cost of cyclone Ditwah devastation. According to initial estimates, $6-7 billion would be required as the loss would be around 3-5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).