JAKARTA - The International Organization for Migration said on May 26 that it provided cash assistance to more than 4,000 families affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. The support covered households in Puttalam, Badulla, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle and Kandy districts.
IOM described the programme as part of Sri Lanka’s wider post-cyclone response, with cash support allowing households to decide which immediate needs to prioritise.
Kristin Parco, IOM Chief of Mission for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said, “IOM is pleased to help affected families meet their most urgent needs.” The quote appeared in IOM’s official item on the cash-assistance programme.
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on Sri Lanka’s east coast on November 28, 2025, according to the government-led Post-Disaster Needs Assessment. The report said the storm brought intense rainfall, sustained winds of around 65 to 90 km/h, and widespread flooding and landslides.
The same assessment said more than 2.2 million people were exposed to the cyclone across 22 of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts. It said the Disaster Management Centre had recorded 643 deaths and 183 missing persons by December 17, 2025. By January 19, 2026, fatalities had risen to 646, with 173 people still missing.
The cash assistance sits within a broader humanitarian response launched after the disaster. The UN and humanitarian partners launched a Humanitarian Priorities Plan on December 11, 2025, targeting 658,000 vulnerable people out of an estimated 1.2 million people in need. The plan required US$35.3 million, according to the assessment.
Japan has also supported the cyclone response through IOM. The Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka said Japan decided on December 16, 2025 to provide US$2.5 million in emergency grant assistance through IOM, WFP and UNICEF, including US$1 million through IOM for 615 shelter sets for severely affected households in Kandy, Badulla and Kegalle.
The post-disaster assessment said about 233,015 people had been evacuated to 1,441 government-managed safety centres by December 2, 2025. It also said the government later initiated a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment to guide recovery planning, financing and reconstruction after the cyclone.
