UN to grant USD 4.5 million to help cyclone-hit Sri Lanka

Colombo, Dec 9 (PTI) The United Nations on Tuesday announced the release of USD 4.5 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to assist Sri Lanka in recovering from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.  “Cyclone Ditwah has upended lives across the country, and many families are still struggling to meet their basic daily needs,” said Marc-André Franche, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka.  He said that the UN is working closely with the Government, civil society partners and the humanitarian community in Sri Lanka to ensure a coordinated response guided by evidence and priority needs.  “This emergency funding will help us reach those most severely affected with the support they urgently need,” he added.  Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath thanked the UN for the contributions.

“The impact of the disaster on all sectors, including daily livelihood, economy, and agriculture, requires continued international support for the rebuilding process,” Herath posted on social media.  The funds will enable the UN to rapidly scale up emergency food assistance, shelter support, and water, sanitation and hygiene services for the severely affected.  Communities across Sri Lanka are continuing to grapple with the widespread impacts of the cyclone, with thousands of families still displaced after extensive damage to housing and infrastructure.  Even as response efforts are underway, latest assessments indicate that the effects of the cyclone are broader and more severe than initially understood, leaving many communities in urgent need of sustained support to fully recover from Cyclone Ditwah.

Over 1.7 million people from over 500,000 families were affected by the cyclone-triggered extreme weather, with 638 deaths and 191 missing by this morning. PTI CORR RD RD RD