The European Union and Save the Children have launched a €1 million recovery programme for Cyclone Ditwah survivors, targeting around 12,000 people — including 3,000 children — in the central highland districts hit hardest by the November 2025 disaster.
The initiative will reach more than 4,000 of the most vulnerable households across Badulla, Nuwara Eliya and Kandy, with priority for families that include women and persons with disabilities. The package combines multi-purpose cash transfers with integrated child-protection services and psychosocial support delivered through TeamUp, a play-based emotional resilience programme developed by Save the Children and War Child.
Julian Chellappah, Save the Children’s Response Team Lead in Sri Lanka, said the EU money is structured to bridge from immediate relief into longer-term community resilience. “Months after Cyclone Ditwah, families are still struggling not only with financial hardship, but also with the protection risks that come with the prolonged disruption to their lives,” he said. “Children in particular are facing uncertainty, distress and instability as they try to recover.”
Save the Children said Cyclone Ditwah triggered Sri Lanka’s worst landslides and flooding in decades, affecting over 2.2 million people, killing hundreds and devastating livelihoods. Many households in the upcountry remain displaced more than six months on.
Three national civil-society partners will deliver the programme on the ground: the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, the Centre for Children’s Happiness and the Foundation for Innovative Social Development. The EU package sits alongside larger state recovery efforts including the USD 200 million ADB recovery project approved by Cabinet earlier this week and earlier Australia–FAO support for vegetable farmers in the highland districts.
Source: Newswire.
