The government will commence the disbursement of the Rs. 5 million (50 Lakhs) grant for the construction of new houses to replace those destroyed by Cyclone Ditwa starting from the second week of January, Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced.

Speaking at the Cabinet decision press briefing held at the Department of Government Information yesterday (06), the Minister detailed the progress of the extensive relief program currently underway.

Progress of Relief Disbursements

The Minister provided a breakdown of the financial assistance already distributed to those affected by the disaster:

• Cleaning Allowance (Rs. 25,000): Over 92% of the payments have been finalized. Out of 452,658 eligible households, 415,818 have already received the funds. Districts including Kalutara, Hambantota, Kandy, Jaffna, Ampara, and Monaragala have achieved 100% completion.

• Intermediate Allowance (Rs. 50,000): Of the 146,475 applications received, payments have been successfully made to 92,697 housing units.

• Support for Children: In addition to the standard Rs. 15,000 disaster allowance, an additional Rs. 10,000 per child is being provided through the President’s Fund. As of early January, over 113,000 children have already been reached.

Compensation and Long-term Housing

The Minister further noted that a compensation of Rs. 1 million (10 Lakhs) is being granted to the next of kin in cases of death, or to individuals who suffered permanent disabilities. These payments are being coordinated through the respective Divisional Secretariats.

Regarding the housing crisis, while 6,056 houses were identified as fully destroyed, the government estimates that a total of approximately 25,000 new houses will need to be constructed. This figure includes homes that, while not completely leveled, have been rendered structurally unsafe or are located in areas where rebuilding is no longer permitted.