FAO Seeks USD 16.5 Million as Cyclone Ditwah Pushes Sri Lanka into Deepening Food Crisis

COLOMBO (News 1st); In what it describes as a critical race against time, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a USD 16.5 million international appeal to support early recovery for Sri Lankan farming, livestock and fishing communities devastated by Cyclone Ditwah — a climate shock that has rattled the country from coast to coast.

Striking at the very start of the Maha 2025/26 cultivation season, Cyclone Ditwah has emerged as one of the most destructive weather events Sri Lanka has faced in decades, sweeping across all 25 districts and disrupting the lives and livelihoods of more than 2.2 million people.

Over 1.1 million of them are now in urgent need of food, agriculture, and nutrition assistance, even as households continue to reel from prolonged economic pressures that had already weakened rural resilience.

Floods triggered by the cyclone submerged 129,000 hectares of farmland, impacting over 227,000 farming households. Farmers now face soaked fields, debris-filled plots, and damaged irrigation networks — all combining to delay replanting at a time when every day counts.

Shortages of seeds, fertilizers and machinery threaten to turn a temporary setback into a full-scale national food production crisis.

“If immediate support is not provided, Sri Lanka risks irreversible production losses,” FAO warned.

The destruction extends far beyond crops.

37,000 cattle and buffaloes lost

Nearly 16,000 goats and sheep killed

475,000 poultry wiped out

USD 66–69 million in damage across fisheries and aquaculture

For many rural families, the loss of livestock and boats represents not just reduced food availability, but the collapse of their primary income source.

“This appeal focuses on early recovery interventions urgently needed to stabilize livelihoods and safeguard food production,” said Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. “Immediate early recovery support is critical to prevent long-term losses, deeper food insecurity and increased reliance on food assistance.”

What FAO Plans to Do With the USD 16.5 Million:

The appeal, issued from FAO Headquarters in Rome, targets 256,000 households — nearly 1.03 million Sri Lankans — across the Central, Eastern, North Central, North Western, Northern, Uva and Western Provinces.

FAO’s recovery plan includes:

Restoring Crop Production

Providing seeds, fertilizers, tools and essential inputs to smallholder farmers.

Protecting Livestock

Emergency veterinary services, vaccines, animal health kits and restocking poultry.

Supporting Fisheries and Aquaculture

Repairing or replacing damaged boats, gear and small-scale aquaculture assets.

Cash-Based Assistance

Cash‑for‑work programmes to clear debris, rehabilitate farmland and support immediate household needs.

FAO is coordinating closely with the Government of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, and the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources. The organization also co-leads the Food Security and Livelihoods Sector alongside the World Food Programme.

Despite the urgency, only USD 400,000 has been received — a 97.6% shortfall.

Without rapid donor contributions, FAO warns that hundreds of thousands of households could lose an entire cultivation season, pushing communities into deeper food insecurity and jeopardizing Sri Lanka’s fragile rural economy.