The United Nations today (11) launched its Humanitarian Priorities Plan to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to deliver immediate life-saving assistance and restore normalcy for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Marc-André Franche, said the UN and its local and international partners aim to mobilise US$35 million over the next four months to provide critical relief. He made these remarks at a media briefing held in Colombo.
Franche explained that, together with the Disaster Management Centre, the UN has prepared a Humanitarian Priorities Plan covering seven key sectors, following the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah. He emphasised that while the government is leading the relief and recovery efforts, the UN and its partners will support these initiatives across multiple areas.
He noted that the UN has already secured US$9.5 million in contributions from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A further US$26 million is now being sought under a coordinated programme to strengthen short-term relief and long-term recovery.
Stressing the urgency of a unified approach, Franche said thousands of families remain displaced amid extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. Communities across the country continue to struggle with the widespread impacts of the cyclone.
The funds will allow the UN to rapidly scale up emergency food assistance, shelter support, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services for the most severely affected communities—particularly those hit by floods and landslides.
Franche added that ongoing assessments suggest the severity of the devastation is greater than initially understood, leaving many communities in urgent need of sustained support to rebuild their lives after Cyclone Ditwah.
“This funding comes at a critical moment for Sri Lanka,” he said, noting that the UN will expand its life-saving assistance to the hardest-hit areas through the broader Humanitarian Priorities Plan as the full scale of the disaster becomes clearer.
