Govt. to call for international donor conference

 

Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath told the government is planning to convene an international donor conference to seek assistance for rebuilding the disaster-hit country, 

He said the conference would be held after the completion of the ongoing needs assessment, which is currently being carried out by the World Bank along with relevant government agencies. When asked whether the government intended to call for an international donor conference, Minister Herath replied, “Yes, we have that plan.”

Cyclone Ditwah, which made landfall on November 28, triggered severe riverine floods and landslides across the country, killing more than 600 people and causing extensive damage to infrastructure, including highways, power transmission lines, irrigation tanks and canals, and buildings.

Earlier, Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi estimated the total damage at approximately US$ 6–7 billion.

To mobilise financial resources for reconstruction, the government has already established the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, which has so far received over Rs. 3.4 billion in donations, including contributions from business leaders.

Several countries have also pledged emergency assistance, with India being the first to respond. Other countries that have extended support include the United States, Australia, Pakistan, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, the Maldives, Bangladesh and Japan.

In addition, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners last week launched a Humanitarian Priorities Plan (HPP), seeking US$ 35.3 million (approximately Rs. 10.9 billion) to scale up life-saving assistance for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

The plan aims to reach 658,000 of the most vulnerable people between December 2025 and April 2026 and follows the government’s request for international assistance. It complements ongoing national efforts by directing support to the areas and populations most severely impacted.

The HPP covers critical sectors, including education; food security, agriculture and nutrition; health; protection; shelter and non-food items; camp coordination; water, sanitation and hygiene; and early recovery.