COLOMBO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Friday launched a major housing reconstruction and compensation program for families affected by Cyclone Ditwah, the President's Media Division (PMD) said.
According to the PMD, the initiative, part of the government's "Rebuilding Sri Lanka" program, began in the Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts, where new housing projects were inaugurated in Galnewa, Rajanganaya, Nikaweratiya and Rideegama. The program aims to support communities that suffered widespread destruction during the cyclone.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said preliminary assessments indicate that between 20,000 and 25,000 houses will need to be rebuilt nationwide. He said official data show that around 6,000 homes were completely destroyed, while an estimated 17,000 to 18,000 more were partially damaged or located in areas deemed unsafe. Authorities plan to finalize the full damage assessment in the coming weeks.
The president said the reconstruction effort will run alongside existing national housing programs funded through the 2026 budget, which include plans to build 31,000 houses for low-income families, conflict-displaced communities and estate-sector workers, with additional cooperation from India for hill-country housing projects.
The Sri Lankan economy suffered a 4.1-billion-dollar loss due to Cyclone Ditwah. ■