Northeast &and Malaiyakam Regions – Sri Lanka Date: December 2025
Cyclone Ditwah unleashed severe destruction across Sri Lanka’s Northeast and Malaiyakam regions, resulting in loss of life and leaving thousands of families displaced. Essential services—including water supply, electricity, transportation networks, education, and healthcare—were heavily disrupted, creating urgent humanitarian needs.
The cyclone severely affected agricultural communities by destroying crops, home gardens, livestock shelters, irrigation systems, and key livelihood assets. Agricultural livestock production activities were wiped out in many areas. Families who depend on farming, plantation labor, and livestock rearing have lost their primary sources of income, pushing them into heightened food insecurity and economic vulnerability.
In addition to the physical destruction, the cyclone inflicted significant psychological and social impacts. Families are grappling with emotional distress, trauma, and anxiety about their future. Children’s education has been interrupted due to damage to schools and the loss of books and learning materials. Traditional community support networks have weakened, and many households feel a profound loss of dignity following displacement and livelihood collapse.
This proposal presents a coordinated emergency response and recovery plan. It combines tangible support—such as food relief, agricultural inputs, tools, livestock, clothing, school supplies, and mosquito nets—with non-tangible interventions including psychosocial first aid, community mobilization, and rebuilding social cohesion. By addressing both material and emotional needs, the project aims to promote a holistic, community-centered, and sustainable recovery process.
A1. Objective
To provide urgent, life-saving assistance to all displaced and affected individuals, ensuring safety, dignity, and stabilization of living conditions.
A2. Activities
A2.1 Food & Nutrition Support
- Distribute dry ration packs (rice, dhal, flour, canned food, baby formula).
- Provide nutritional supplements for the most vulnerable, children, elderly persons, and pregnant women.
A2.2 Health & Medical Support
- Distribute mosquito nets to protect against dengue, malaria, and other vector-borne diseases.
B1. Objective
To restore livelihoods, provide necessary recovery inputs, and support rural and estate families in regaining stable and sustainable income sources.
B2. Support for Malaiyakam (Estate) Communities
B2.1 Household Support & Basic Recovery
- Provide home-gardening starter kits (seeds, compost, tools, grow bags) to enhance household food production.
- Supply essential clothing and school materials for affected children and families.
B2.2 Livelihood Diversification and Asset Restoration
- Provide grants and start-up inputs for micro-enterprises (e.g., tailoring, food stalls, small retail).
- Support affected fishers with nets, fishing gear, and essential boat repair materials.
- Provide livestock such as cows, goats, and chickens to restore livestock farming activities in affected households.
- Deliver training on improved livestock management, organic home gardening, and small business development.
- Stabilized rural and estate livelihoods through restored agricultural and livestock activities.
- Increased household food security through home gardening and diversified income opportunities.
- Improved physical and emotional wellbeing among cyclone-affected families.
- Strengthened community resilience, collaboration, and social cohesion.
Implementation will be carried out in collaboration with:
- District & Divisional Secretariats (Northeast & Central Regions)
- Local NGOs and INGOs
- Faith-based organizations
- RDS and community volunteers
These partnerships ensure transparency, accountability, and targeted support to the most vulnerable groups.
Monitoring Mechanisms
- Weekly progress updates and situation reports from Divisional Secretariats.
- Joint field monitoring visits by agriculture officers, livestock officers, and trained relief workers.
- Verification of beneficiary lists through Government Agent (GA) offices to ensure fairness and transparency.
Evaluation
- Mid-term review at 3 months to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.
- End-of-program evaluation at 6 months to measure impact and effectiveness.
- Transparent reporting on financial utilization, beneficiary coverage, and overall program outcomes.
Admin & Logistics
The Admin & Logistics allocation (USD 10,000) covers essential coordination, transport, and safety needs required to deliver relief effectively, while also creating short-term employment for local field workers. This includes basic remuneration for community mobilizers and distribution staff, travel and fuel for reaching remote areas, and protective equipment to ensure teams can operate safely in post-cyclone conditions. Kept at under 5% of the total budget, this lean allocation ensures transparent, accountable, and efficient delivery of all program activities without diverting resources away from core relief efforts.
| Category | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Food & Nutrition | $50,000 |
| Livestock Farming | $70,000 |
| School Supplies | $50,000 |
| Mosquito Nets | $25,000 |
| Admin & Logistics | $10,000 |
| Total Estimated Budget | $205,000 |
This proposal provides a clear, integrated approach to support families affected by Cyclone Ditwah. By combining immediate life-saving relief with livelihood restoration, agricultural recovery, and psychosocial support, the program aims to help communities in the Northeast and Malaiyakam regions rebuild their homes, regain stability, and move toward long-term resilience.
Through strong community engagement and partnerships with government and local organizations, this initiative will deliver timely, effective, and sustainable recovery for the most vulnerable populations.