Effective provision of relief to victims of Cyclone Ditwah

IN the aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Ditwah which caused massive losses to a number of families in the country, the Government is now facing the enormous challenge of providing humanitarian and financial assistance to those who lost their loved ones as well as people whose properties were either destroyed or damaged severely.

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The death toll from the disaster is currently reported at 639 while 203 people remain missing. According to the Disaster Management Centre, the storm had affected over 1.8 million people, with over 90,000 houses damaged or destroyed. Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi had estimated the total economic losses caused by the cyclone to be approximately $ 6 billion, which is equivalent to about 3.5% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Given the scale and severity of economic loss from the unfortunate event, providing relief and assistance to revitalise the livelihoods that were tormented becomes a critical task. At the Parliament, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced a very generous compensation package to the victims of the cyclone. As per the Government's plan, Rs. 5 million will be paid to a completely damaged home while Rs. 2.5 million is expected to be disbursed to refurbish a damaged home.