Uber commits Rs.65mn to support Cyclone Ditwah-impacted communities

Joins hands with Sri Lanka Red Cross Society 

• Teams up with Colombo Municipal Council to mobilise community donations

Uber Sri Lanka yesterday announced a partnership with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to support relief and recovery efforts for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah. As part of this initiative, Uber is contributing approximately Rs.65 million towards emergency relief, combining funds for essential supplies, mobility support and grocery access for affected families.
In addition to this partnership, Uber will also work with the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to support a public donation drive aimed at making it easier for the public to participate in relief efforts and donate dry rations and other essential goods for the affected households.
The support will enable the Red Cross team to procure and distribute dry-ration kits, life-saving medicines and essential care packages worth Rs.30 million across the affected regions. 
Additionally, Uber will provide free rides worth over Rs.17.5 million to Red Cross teams to facilitate safe transport during the rescue and relief operations. Uber Eats will provide Rs.17.5 million to the Red Cross Society to procure groceries and essential supplies from local merchants for free deliveries to the cyclone-impacted households. 
Additionally, through its collaboration with the CMC, the company will facilitate donation pick-ups from those who want to support the affected families through the Uber app, to be dropped off at a central collection point set up by the CMC at the Colombo Town Hall.  
Uber Sri Lanka Country Manager Delivery Varun Wijewardane said, “Uber Sri Lanka is focussed on providing sustained support to our community that has been severely impacted by the devastating events of the past few days. Our partnership with the Red Cross allows us to effectively get essentials into the hands of those who need immediate support through the Red Cross national network. We will also contribute via the Uber Eats platform in the weeks ahead, enabling the Red Cross to source groceries and other essentials from our wide network of merchants and get them quickly and safely to the affected communities.”
Uber Sri Lanka Country Manager Mobility Kaushalya Gunaratne said, “We want to do our part during this time of need. In critical moments like this, on-ground mobility can connect help and resources to those who need it most. We don’t want transport to become a barrier for relief efforts and we’re offering free Uber rides to help Red Cross teams move quickly across the affected areas to support the impacted families. Our commitment is long-term and we will continue to stand with Sri Lanka whenever our network can make a difference.”
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society Senior Vice President Jagath Abeysinghe said, “Uber’s support significantly boosts our ability to respond quickly on the ground. The combined assistance, funding, mobility support and access to essential supplies, will help our teams reach more affected families across the impacted districts. We deeply appreciate Uber’s solidarity during this challenging time.”
This initiative builds on Uber’s ongoing collaboration with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, including prior joint efforts to support vaccination transport services and community relief drives during COVID and providing emergency first-aid training to drivers to enhance safety on the platform. 
The partnership with CMC further extends Uber’s commitment by activating the community to take part in relief efforts and helping ensure support reaches the affected families swiftly and efficiently. Sri Lankans can participate in the donation drive by following these steps:
On Uber app
Pack dry rations or other essential goods you want to donate in an easy-to-carry pack
Open Uber app and select ‘Courier’ 
-For packages less than 5 kg, use Courier Moto
-For packages between 5 kg and 25 kg, use Courier Auto
Change the drop destination to ‘CMC - Colombo Town Hall and Municipal Council’  
Proceed to confirming the ride
All donation-related trips originating from Core Colombo to the collection point will be free of charge.