Sri Lanka to build shelters for Cyclone Ditwah victims

Sri Lanka will build interim shelters for about 1,000 people displaced by Cyclone Ditwah in the worst affected districts.

A coordination meeting on the project was held yesterday (April 26) at the Army Headquarters under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara.

The meeting reviewed the progress of interim shelter projects and discussed steps to speed up their implementation in Kegalle, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla.

The main aim of the programme is to temporarily resettle displaced people in safe and habitable shelters.

Construction work is scheduled to begin in the first week of May, 2026 and is expected to be completed within a short period.

The Sri Lanka Army will support the project using its engineering expertise and manpower.

Deputy Minister Aruna Jayasekara said the initiative is being carried out under the Government’s “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” programme.

He instructed the Sri Lanka Army to submit a detailed implementation plan with a clear time schedule to ensure the work is completed on time.

The process of identifying suitable land for the shelters is also underway with the support of the relevant District Secretaries and the National Building Research Institute (NBRI).

Authorities said the selected lands must meet required safety standards.

The Deputy Minister also stressed the need to maintain transparency, accountability and quality assurance during the project.

He further called for stronger coordination among all stakeholders to avoid delays.

The meeting was attended by the Commander of the Army, senior Ministry officials and representatives from the Disaster Management Division, National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), National Building Research Institute (NBRI) and other relevant institutions.

---

---