Politics

The Disaster Management Center (DMC) has announced that more than 20,000 families affected by Cyclone Ditwah are still living in relief centres. Currently, 70,055 people from 22,522 families are being sheltered in 762 relief centres throughout Sri Lanka. The Kandy district has the highest number, with 17,437 people from 5,427 families in 222 relief centres. Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts also have significant numbers, with 19,750 individuals from 6,487 families in 206 centres in Nuwara Eliya, and 19,409 people from 6,026 families in 155 centres in Badulla. Prabath Chandrakeerthi, the Commissioner General of Essential Services, mentioned that efforts are underway to resettle these families within the next 2 to 3 months. He pointed out that some homes are completely destroyed while others have partial damage, and many families are hesitant to go back due to safety concerns. The government is offering a three-month house rent allowance to support these families. For those who lost their homes entirely, additional assistance is being planned, which includes a grant of Rs. 5 million and the allocation of state land, which is still being examined. He also stressed that the government is gathering information on available state-owned land to speed up the resettlement process.