President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the Ministry of Finance to expedite the allocation of funds to District Secretaries for urgent assistance to those affected by the recent adverse weather conditions, announced the President’s Media Division.
Severe monsoonal downpours over the weekend have resulted in at least 14 fatalities and impacted over 19,000 individuals from more than 5,000 families across Sri Lanka, according to authorities.
The Disaster Management Center (DMC) reported that heavy rain affected 20 out of the country’s 25 districts, prompting warnings for residents along major riverbanks to relocate to higher ground.
Colombo’s primary international airport witnessed diversions of incoming flights to smaller airports, while flooding on key highways disrupted traffic at various junctions.
With forecasts indicating further rainfall, the government has ordered the closure of all schools on Monday following the weekend break, prioritising safety measures amid the adverse weather conditions.