The UK has pledged £1 million (around $1.3 million) in aid to support victims of Cyclone Ditwah, following Acting High Commissioner Theresa O’Mahony’s visit to Sri Lanka Red Cross operations in Gampaha.

“This funding will help deliver emergency supplies and life-saving assistance to those who need it most,” the British High Commission said. The aid will be distributed through humanitarian partners.

During her visit, O’Mahony toured the Red Cross warehouse where UK relief supplies are being prepared, met volunteers coordinating relief efforts, and visited flood-affected areas to speak with families impacted by the cyclone.

“Our support is about helping people get back on their feet—safely and with dignity,” she said, adding that the UK stands “shoulder to shoulder with the people of Sri Lanka” and will continue collaborating with the government, the Red Cross, the UN, and local partners in recovery efforts.

She was accompanied by John Entwhistle, IFRC Head of South Asia, and Mahesh Gunasekara, Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Red Cross.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has scaled up its emergency response in Sri Lanka following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, thanks to a generous AUD 1.5 million contribution from the Government of Australia. This support is enabling WFP to deliver life-saving fortified food and provide cash assistance to families most affected by the disaster, Australian High Commission said in a release yesterday.

It said: The first airlift of fortified biscuits – 10 metric tonnes from WFP’s humanitarian hub in Dubai arrived in Sri Lanka, with upto 67 metric tonnes expected in the coming days. WFP has already dispatched fortified biscuits to Nuwara Eliya and Kegalle. Further deliveries are planned for Badulla and Kandy, among the hardest-hit districts.

“Australia stands with Sri Lanka at this devastating time. We are proud to work closely with our longstanding humanitarian partner the WFP, as well as with the Sri Lankan government and local authorities, to rapidly respond to meet the urgent needs of those affected communities,” said Australia’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Matthew Duckworth.

WFP’s fortified biscuits provide a quick boost of energy and nutrition when families need it most.

“As rescue operations wind down, our priority is delivering life-saving fortified food to tackle immediate food needs of affected families, targeting especially those most at risk – children, older persons, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with disabilities, who often bear the brunt of such crises,” said Philip Ward, Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme.

Australia’s contribution will also fund cash assistance programmes, complementing Government efforts to help families meet essential needs and rebuild their lives. WFP continues to appeal for additional donor support to sustain emergency operations and accelerate recovery for communities devastated by Cyclone Ditwah.

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa on Tuesday (09) had talks with Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan at the Opposition Leader’s Office, in Colombo, to discuss emergency relief for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

Premadasa briefed the Ambassador on the scale of destruction and the hardships faced by residents, and sought Russia’s support to repair damaged railway lines, restore the road network, rebuild other key infrastructure and assist in resettling affected families.

He also conveyed Sri Lanka’s gratitude for the assistance already extended by Moscow during the crisis. Premadasa noted that further strengthening long-standing trade and cooperative ties between the two countries would bolster Sri Lanka’s broader recovery efforts as it grapples with economic strain.