Photo: France 24

COLOMBO, Dec 3, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Sri Lankan authorities said Wednesday they 
would need some $7 billion to rebuild homes, industries and roads destroyed 
by Cyclone Ditwah, which has left at least 465 people dead so far.

Hopes have faded for the 366 other people unaccounted for after mudslides and 
floods triggered by the cyclone, which brought record rains across the island 
last week.

"Our initial estimate is that we will need about six to seven billion dollars 
for the reconstruction," said Prabath Chandrakeerthi, the Commissioner-
General of Essential Services who is leading the massive recovery effort.

Chandrakeerthi added that the government was providing 25,000 rupees ($81) to 
each family to help clean their homes, while those who lost their homes would 
receive up to 2.5 million rupees ($8,100).

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said foreign assistance was essential to 
finance the recovery, as the country was still emerging from its worst ever 
economic crisis three years ago.

Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday and has vowed to 
rebuild with international support.

"We were just coming out of the economic crisis when we were hit by this 
disaster, which is the biggest challenge faced by any government," 
Dissanayake told his top officials on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka declared a sovereign default on its $46 billion external debt in 
April 2022 after the country ran out of foreign exchange to finance even the 
most essential imports, such as food, fuel and medicines.

The country secured a $2.9 billion bailout loan from the IMF, which has said 
the economy has since stabilised, but Sri Lanka must maintain its reforms, 
including austerity measures.

The crisis in 2022 led to months of street protests which forced then-
president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down.

Floodwaters in the capital Colombo were receding Wednesday after major 
flooding over the weekend.

Over 1.5 million people in the country have been affected by the natural 
disaster, with some 200,000 in state-run shelters.

Some of the worst-affected areas in the central hills remain inaccessible, 
and authorities were working to clear the roads and restore communication 
lines.

Despite the disaster, the tourism-reliant country welcomed a luxury 
cruiseliner to Colombo port on Tuesday, authorities said.

The arrival sends "a clear message to the world: Sri Lanka is safe, open, and 
ready to embrace visitors once again," the country's tourist board said.