Sri Lanka President calls for unity, pledges swift recovery after disaster

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, addressing the nation this evening (November 30), called for unity and resilience as the country faces an unprecedented natural disaster.

He praised the heroism of rescue forces and the selfless efforts of citizens, pledging full government support for affected families and communities, and vowed that recovery and reconstruction would be rapid, inclusive, and guided by both national and international assistance.

Full speech made by Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake:

“Venerable clergy, dear parents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters,

We know that as a country we are facing the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history. We also know that we have launched the most difficult rescue operation in our country’s history. This is the first time in history that the entire nation has been struck by a disaster of this magnitude at once. In a situation where the entire country has been submerged and affected in all directions, we are required to overcome this extremely difficult challenge.

Although this merciless natural disaster has shaken our small island, it has repeatedly shown that it cannot shake the humanity and determination of the people living on this island. Together with the unwavering courage of my beloved citizens, we firmly believe that we can rebuild this country once again.

Dear parents, brothers and sisters, if it were possible to give life again to everyone who died in this disaster, we would not hesitate for even a moment to do whatever it takes. But we must face the painful truth of reality. The grief over those who are lost will remain with us forever. Those who died are not numbers to us. Every life had a name, a face, and a story. For the families of all who passed away, we extend our deepest condolences from the bottom of our hearts. It does not end with sympathy alone.

Although we cannot give those families back the lives they lost, we are committed to ensuring they receive everything else they need.

We also continue to pray that all those who are missing will be found safely. We warmly embrace all who have stepped forward to comfort the sorrow and pain of the many whose lives have been shattered, and to be a source of strength for those affected.

When natural disasters cannot be prevented, the Government bears full responsibility for managing the disaster and emergency response properly, and for rebuilding communities to their previous state or to a more developed state. We intend to take every possible future measure, no matter how difficult the situation may be.

In confronting this disaster as a nation with limited facilities and tools, it has been clearly shown yet again that our most valuable resource is our human capital. We are proud of our citizens who never turn away during hardship and who always stand strong with faith and courage.

We must remember that what lies ahead of us is the largest recovery effort and reconstruction mission we have ever had to undertake. Initial damage assessments show the extent of destruction is severe. Yet the people of our country have always risen again, with determination, after floods, storms or any disaster.

Our first responsibility was to save the lives of those surrounded by the disaster and to provide them with immediate relief. We worked to mobilise the entire state apparatus efficiently for this purpose. Our tri forces and police, disregarding danger to their own lives and acting with great bravery and sacrifice, performed heroic duties. We should be proud of them. The nation must salute them.

Likewise, from ministry secretaries to the officers in the lowest administrative divisions, the entire public service worked together to rescue the affected people. They fulfilled this responsibility not merely as an official duty but as a humanitarian mission with true commitment. We must be grateful to them. Many citizens also volunteered to help the affected. Even if they themselves were not affected, they considered the suffering of their neighbours and fellow villagers as their own, and carried out significant humanitarian work. We must recognise this at this moment.

Our neighbouring countries and friendly nations also extended considerable support during this rescue operation. Countries have already provided helicopters and rescue forces, extending a hand of friendship. We express our deep gratitude to them on behalf of the people of our nation.

A major part of the rescue phase has now been completed. The rescued population now falls into three groups: those displaced in their own homes, those staying in the homes of relatives or friends, and those staying in temporary shelters.

Some of the existing regulations had created barriers to providing relief to all three groups. We have amended those regulations so that relief can be given without discrimination, regardless of where the displaced are staying. Some regulations also prevented our officers from utilising funds properly. We have amended those as well. A Divisional Secretary has now been authorised to spend up to 50 million rupees as required. All necessary legal support has been provided to ensure efficient implementation of these measures.

We also have approximately 30 billion rupees allocated from the previous budget that can be spent without further parliamentary approval. All these funds have been set aside for disaster response. We have informed District Secretaries to communicate the amount needed and the workload required. We have prepared all necessary arrangements to release funds accordingly.

If the allocations in the 2025 budget are insufficient, we will obtain additional provisions through supplementary estimates in Parliament. This will ensure that affected families receive food, healthcare and sanitation support.

This disaster has also caused severe damage to essential services and infrastructure. Electricity supply has collapsed in many areas. Water supply and communication networks have been disrupted. Roads have been destroyed. A significant amount of critical infrastructure and services has been damaged. We have established operational plans to restore all these services rapidly and efficiently. Staff in unaffected regions have been deployed to assist in restoring infrastructure in affected areas. Ministries and agencies have suspended all non essential responsibilities and are treating this as their primary duty.

We are working closely with the Electricity Board, the Water Board, telecommunication companies and the Road Development Authority, providing all necessary support and direction. I believe that within a short time we will be able to fully restore these facilities and services.

Our next major priority is the short term, medium term and long term rebuilding of the disaster affected regions. We have lost precious lives. We have lost physical assets beyond measure. There is an enormous task ahead to repair public infrastructure in the disaster zones from roads and bridges to schools and water systems.

This situation is not a minor challenge for a country that has been striving to rise steadily and systematically. From small self-employment to large-scale industries, and from small-scale entrepreneurs to major business owners, all these sectors are now facing loss of income and the risk of their industries collapsing. Likewise, agriculture and the livestock sector have suffered severe setbacks. Therefore, we need a rapid plan to revive these sectors quickly.

At this moment, while managing this disaster situation, we have already declared a state of emergency to ensure the legal protection and provisions required for a fast and efficient recovery. I wish to give one assurance to the citizens of this country. We will not use this state of emergency for any repressive activity other than managing this disaster and supporting the effective rebuilding of our nation.

Under the provisions of the emergency, we have now appointed a Commissioner General of Essential Services. All services have been centralised. The Essential Services Office is open twenty four hours a day. Officers of all key institutions are working around the clock. Therefore, we have planned a highly efficient central operation through this Essential Services Office.

Our next responsibility is to transform our country into a more developed nation than it was before. For this purpose, we expect to establish a fund to secure the financial resources needed for rebuilding. A joint management committee has been appointed to administer this fund, comprising representatives from the private sector, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Presidential Secretariat. A significant workload has been assigned to them.

We can mobilise various types of financial support required to rebuild our country. We will work closely with friendly nations to secure their assistance. We will also invite different international organisations to support us. At the same time, we will invite local entrepreneurs and industrialists to contribute. Especially at this moment, Sri Lankans living overseas are working with great commitment and willingness to support the nation. We have made arrangements to provide them with the necessary assistance. Therefore, we must build a strong fund to rise from this disaster, and we have already planned the necessary actions to achieve this.

We have also informed all institutions to submit a comprehensive list detailing the scale of challenges faced in their respective sectors and the requirements for rebuilding. One of the major issues confronting our country is the lack of accurate data and reliable information. We are facing the consequences of that. To recover from this crisis, accurate data and information are essential.

The Irrigation Department must present the damages incurred in the irrigation systems under its purview and the funds required for their restoration. The Department of Agriculture must present the losses suffered by farmers and the financial requirements needed to rebuild the agricultural sector. Similarly, every sector has been instructed to promptly provide the necessary proposals and rebuilding plans. Based on this, we will be able to rebuild our country through a rapid development plan.

In the past, history has denied us the opportunity to achieve long-term national goals and to work together. This time, we are determined not to let that opportunity slip away. We extend our gratitude to all friendly nations, their leaders, their citizens and international organisations that have already stepped forward to support us during this difficult time. We have already established an organised mechanism to utilise their continuous assistance for rebuilding our country.

At this decisive and tragic moment, let us set aside all political differences for the sake of the nation. Let us unite as one, free from divisions of ethnicity, religion, party or colour. There will be plenty of time for politics later. But we do not have much time to face this disaster. Let us unite to rebuild the country. After rebuilding, we can engage in politics separately.

Above all, I have complete confidence. I act with unwavering belief in rebuilding this country. I trust the citizens of our nation. I trust the tri forces, the police and the public service. I trust the industrialists, business community, intellectuals and innovators of our country. I trust the Sri Lankans living abroad. And I trust our friendly nations. With that belief, we have undertaken this mission with strong conviction that we can rebuild this country. Without doubt, we will build a better nation than before. Even if we must begin from the very beginning, we accept that challenge.

For this collective effort, I invite all of you to join without narrow divisions. Through a national and international program, with proper coordination and with commitment guided by conscience, I ask everyone to help achieve our shared objectives.

We believe that there is light in any darkness. We believe these dark days will pass. Let us rise together. Let us heal this tear-soaked paradise. Let us build a brighter island. Blessings to all.