Colombo – “The force of Cyclone Ditwah and the subsequent flooding between late November and early December 2025 left people with nothing. The death toll exceeded 600, and a total of 2.3 million people were affected and at least one million people are in need of assistance. The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is making a significant contribution to rekindling hope,” Father Basil Rohan Fernando, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Colombo, told Fides.
More than 20% of Sri Lanka’s territory was affected by the tropical storm, with damage to homes, businesses, roads, bridges, and power grids. According to government figures, approximately 720,000 buildings, 16,000 km of roads, 278 km of railway tracks, and 480 bridges were destroyed. “We were suddenly struck by a new, severe crisis. In addition to the short-term effects, this will also entail medium-to long-term costs, as reconstruction will take time,” notes Father Fernando. “In this situation,” he continues, “the Catholic community in Sri Lanka has become involved and is committed to a single goal: to instill new hope. We have assumed a special responsibility, namely to keep hope alive. This is being done by supporting many people with material, financial, but also spiritual, psychological, and social assistance, as was the case during the Christmas season and continues to be the case today.” “The Pontifical Mission Societies also play an important role and are active in all dioceses, where they are assisting the affected people,” he notes, “in an atmosphere of comprehensive cooperation with the institutions and the government.” “The government,” adds the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, “is doing its utmost to rebuild roads, bridges, railway lines, and schools, but also to support individuals and families. People are feeling the tangible support of the state, and that is significant.” Regarding the short-term impact, he emphasizes: “the government has prioritized social assistance to care for the most vulnerable. Those who have lost their homes are receiving a subsidy of 5 million rupees, as are those who have lost their crops or whose land, which provided the livelihood for farming families, has been destroyed.” “Public subsidies have reached families with school-age children so they can purchase new school supplies and resume classes,” he notes. “The commitment of the government of Anura Kumara Dissanayake is certainly commendable, and we are also grateful to countries and organizations around the world, such as Caritas in various countries, for the financial support we are receiving. We do not feel abandoned,” concludes Father Fernando. According to the government, the cost of reconstruction following the floods in Sri Lanka amounts to approximately $7 billion, representing 7% of the country’s gross domestic product and nearly 50% of its government revenue in 2025. Sri Lanka was experiencing a period of recovery after the economic collapse of 2022 due to the debt crisis. The natural disaster dealt the economy another severe blow, while a debt restructuring process was underway thanks to programs and loans from the International Monetary Fund.
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