President assures funding capacity for post-Ditwah recovery

Says State has financial room to begin rebuilding immediately Rs. 30 b already available for urgent expenditure; further funds to be raised through new national recovery fund Emergency regulations enable accelerated reconstruction and sector-wide restoration International partners, private sector and overseas Sri Lankans ready to contribute to recovery effort

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PRESIDENT Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday addressed the nation on the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, giving the clearest assurance so far that the Government has the financial capacity and institutional framework to rebuild damaged infrastructure and restore essential services despite the scale of the destruction.

In his statement, the President said Sri Lanka is facing “the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history” and that the country’s response requires “the most difficult rescue operation in our nation’s history.” He added that although the island had been shaken by the disaster, “the humanity and resilience of our people cannot, in any way, be shaken.”

He said the loss of life was irreplaceable, noting that every individual who died “carried a name, a face, and a story,” and extended sympathy to the affected families.

The President said the State’s first responsibility had been to save lives, mobilising the entire public sector, the Armed Forces, and the Police. “From our Ministry Secretaries to Grama Niladharis at the local level, the entire State machinery has been fully engaged in rescuing affected people,” he said. He acknowledged the work of volunteers and thanked neighbouring and friendly countries for their assistance, including the deployment of relief teams.