Sri Lanka to give Rs. 500,000 per house for disaster damage without assessments

The Government of Sri Lanka will provide Rs. 500,000 to each household affected by disaster-related housing damage without conducting individual assessments, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala said.

The Minister made this statement while speaking at an awareness programme on the “Praja Shakthi” initiative held at the Kobeigane Divisional Secretariat yesterday (December 26).

Minister Wijepala explained that initial financial assistance was given even before official circulars were issued, with the main aim of supporting families whose houses were fully damaged, partially damaged, or affected by floods. He said the government focused on ensuring quick relief to affected families.

He pointed out that carrying out detailed damage assessments for more than 120,000 partially damaged houses would take nearly one year, which would delay urgent assistance. Due to this reason, the government decided to grant a fixed amount of Rs. 500,000 per household without assessments to speed up the recovery process.

However, the Minister noted that families who wish to have a formal damage assessment can choose not to accept the fixed amount. In such cases, if the assessed damage is valued at Rs. 2.5 million or even Rs. 5 million, the government will provide the full assessed compensation.

Minister Wijepala emphasized that all decisions were taken with the well-being of the people in mind, ensuring fairness, transparency, and faster recovery for communities affected by disasters.