UN Releases US$4.5 Million in Emergency Funds to Support Sri Lanka After Cyclone Ditwah

The United Nations has allocated US$4.5 million (approximately LKR 1.38 billion) from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to strengthen Sri Lanka’s emergency response following Cyclone Ditwah, which made landfall on 28 November.

The funding will allow the UN and its partners to rapidly scale up life-saving assistance, including emergency food aid, temporary shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services for communities hardest hit by flooding and landslides.

Thousands of families across Sri Lanka remain displaced after the cyclone caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. Ongoing assessments indicate that the impact of the disaster is broader and more severe than initially anticipated, leaving many communities in urgent need of sustained support to recover.

“This funding comes at a critical moment for Sri Lanka,” said Marc-André Franche, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka. “Cyclone Ditwah has disrupted lives across the country, and many families are still struggling to meet basic daily needs. The UN moved quickly to deliver immediate relief supplies and equipment, and this emergency funding will help us reach those most severely affected.”

He added that the UN is working closely with the Sri Lankan government, civil society organisations and humanitarian partners to ensure a coordinated, evidence-based response focused on priority needs.

CERF is the UN’s global emergency fund designed to mobilise rapid financing for life-saving humanitarian action in the early stages of sudden-onset disasters. As the full extent of the damage becomes clearer, the UN is expected to expand its assistance through a broader Humanitarian Priorities Plan, due to be announced later this week.