After India, Sri Lanka seeks assistance from China for post-cyclone rebuilding

• Decision on donor conference only after Post Disaster Needs Assessment is done

By Kelum Bandara  

In addition to financial assistance already secured from India, the government is now in talks with China for grants to be used in post-Ditwah rebuilding works, an official said.  

The official who wished to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to talk to the press said that the final report of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) would be ready next month along with the Post Disaster Recovery Plan.  

Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka in late November, has caused an estimated US$4.1 billion in direct physical damage to buildings and contents, agriculture and critical infrastructure, according to a World Bank Group Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) report released in December, last year.  

Infrastructure, including roads, bridges, railways and water supply networks, accounts for the largest share of damage, at an estimated $1.735 billion (42 percent of total damages), disrupting connectivity and access to markets and services. Residential buildings and contents have been heavily affected, with damages totaling an estimated $985 million. The widespread impacts on homes highlight the need to consider building locations, flood control structures and designs that are resilient to high winds and flooding. Agriculture suffered an estimated $814 million in damage, including to paddy and vegetable crops, subsistence farming, maize, livestock and agriculture infrastructure, as well as damage to inland fishing, posing serious risks to food security and rural livelihoods in already vulnerable communities. Non-residential buildings (including contents), such as schools, health facilities, businesses, and large industrial facilities and factories located along major rivers and creeks, were also heavily impacted, accounting for $562 million in estimated damages, interrupting education, healthcare delivery, and local economic activity in cyclone-affected areas, the World Bank said.  

However, the government agencies, backed by the UN and European Union, are conducting the PDNA at the moment to decide on the replacement cost. The official said that the World Bank carried out its assessment based on satellite images.  

“We are now carrying out it with data from the government agencies. It is primarily done by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC). Our initial estimate suggests an estimated Rs.880 billion in damage. We are yet to estimate the damage on infrastructure,” he said.  

Asked whether the government would go for an international donor conference, he said, “We will decide on that after the PDNA is done”  

However, he said talks are underway with a few donors including China for assistance in rebuilding. China is expected to announce some grants for restoration of bridges, he said.  

India has already announced a $450 million relief package to support rebuilding efforts. This assistance includes a $100 million grant and $350 million in concessional loans.