Sri Lanka rolls out mental health support initiative for cyclone victims

The foundational workshop for the new “Beyond Recovery” program, aimed at improving the mental well-being of people affected by the recent cyclone in Sri Lanka, was held on December 19, 2025, at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo under the leadership of Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The program will train government officials from District and Divisional Secretariat offices in six major disaster-affected districts, focusing on mental health support. Training will be conducted by local mental health experts and will include creating counseling modules, mental health programs, and scientific initiatives to be implemented in safe centers across the affected areas.

The initiative is part of the broader Clean Sri Lanka Program, which seeks to promote social ethics and environmental well-being nationwide. Officials trained under “Beyond Recovery” will begin implementing programs immediately through safe centers to support the mental health of cyclone-affected communities.

The workshop was attended by key figures, including Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Convener of the Clean Sri Lanka Program Russel Aponsu, Additional Secretary Mr. S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, Members of Parliament, Kandy District Coordinator Thanura Dissanayake, and other officials from the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat.