COLOMBO, Dec 1: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s office on Monday announced setting up a special fund with public and private sector participation to help recover from the devastation caused by catastrophic floods and landslides due to Cyclone Ditwah.
The announcement came as the death toll due to floods and landslides rose to 366 with 367 missing by 6 pm on Monday, the Disaster Management Centre said.
Kandy district reported the maximum 88 deaths followed by 75 in Nuwara Eliya and 71 in Badulla.
As many as 1,151,776 people of 316,366 families have been affected by the adverse weather, the DMC said.
It further said that 1,564 people of 61,612 families are currently in safety centres.
For creation of the fund, the government has started talks with the World Bank to prepare a detailed assessment of the damage across various sectors and the financial requirements for reconstruction.
The World Bank has been commissioned to conduct a Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE).
The government expects to receive the GRADE assessment within two weeks.
Dissanayake said the extent of the damage was far greater than what is visible on the surface.
He said a Joint Management Committee would overlook the Fund with contributions from private and public sectors as the Treasury would not be able to carry the full financial burden required for recovery.
The DMC in a weather forecast on Monday for the next 36 hours predicted several spells of showers in Northern, Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts.
“Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Uva, North-Central and Eastern provinces,” it said.
The DMC advised the public to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thunderstorms.
Sri Lanka has received pledges of international assistance following India’s first response with humanitarian assistance.
The UK announced USD 890,000 of urgent humanitarian support on Monday to help deliver emergency supplies and life-saving care.
China announced a million USD cash donation and 10 million Renminbi worth of relief supplies.
Australia said a million Australian dollars would be committed to provide urgent relief for affected communities.
Nepal said USD 200,000 would be released for relief and recovery operations.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy’s INS Sukanya on Monday entered the eastern port of Trincomalee carrying several tonnes of relief supplies, the Sri Lankan Navy said.
The arrival marks the latest phase of India’s rapid humanitarian assistance mission as the island nation battles one of its worst flood disasters in decades.
INS Sukanya, an offshore patrol vessel, brings essential food items, and emergency equipment to support ongoing rescue and relief efforts.
The ship’s arrival follows the deployment of Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopters and earlier naval assets, underscoring the scale and urgency of the operation.
Meanwhile, India on Monday evacuated its last batch of stranded nationals from Sri Lanka, as New Delhi intensified its assistance to Colombo’s rescue operations.
Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, the last batch of 104 Indian passengers stranded at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo reached Thiruvananthapuram, onboard an IAF aircraft, at around 6.30 am, the Indian High Commission here said in a social media post.
In a press release, the mission said India has intensified its assistance to Sri Lanka’s rescue efforts and expanded operations across several affected regions. (PTI)
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