Sun Dec 14 17:06:02 UTC 2025: News Article:

Sri Lankan Parliament to Reconvene Amidst Cyclone Ditwah Recovery Efforts

Colombo, Sri Lanka – December 15, 2025 – The Sri Lankan parliament will hold an emergency session this Thursday, December 18th, to expedite financial aid for rebuilding efforts following the devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah. The storm, which struck earlier this month, has claimed the lives of at least 643 people and left another 184 missing.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stated that the nation needs at least $1.66 billion in 2026, in addition to the $166 million earmarked for this year, to recover from what he described as the most challenging natural disaster to ever hit the country.

Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne issued the notice for the urgent meeting at the request of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya. The parliament had previously adjourned after approving the 2026 budget and was not scheduled to reconvene until January 6th. The focus of the session will be to approve cyclone recovery expenditure for the coming year, according to finance ministry officials.

The disaster has affected over 2.3 million people, roughly 10% of Sri Lanka’s population. Nearly 75,000 individuals remain in state-run camps. Total damage estimates stand as high as $7 billion.

The United Nations has launched a $35.3 million fund to provide immediate relief to 658,000 of the worst-affected people, focusing on food and temporary shelter. $9.5 million has already been secured through pledges from the European Union, Switzerland, Britain, and the United States, but an additional $25.8 million is needed.

The UN envoy to Sri Lanka, Marc-Andre Franche, emphasized that the cyclone hit as the country was already struggling with poverty and recovering from a major financial crisis. He urged the international community to provide assistance to the devastated nation. Sri Lanka defaulted on $46 billion in external debt in April 2022, securing a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund in early 2023.

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