Post-Ditwah needs assessment: Validation and finalisation workshop held

The official validation and finalisation workshop for the post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) on the impact of cyclone Ditwah was held on Monday (9) in Colombo. The workshop was chaired by the Defence Secretary, Sampath Thuyacontha. The workshop, part of the post-disaster recovery process, brought together stakeholders to finalise assessments and guide coordinated recovery and reconstruction efforts. Since the PDNA process began in November 2025, technical teams have worked to quantify the disaster’s impact, and the workshop provided a platform to validate and refine these findings ahead of the final PDNA report. Thuyacontha stated the disaster had caused severe impacts on lives, infrastructure, and essential services. He noted the evidence-based assessment, conducted under the guidance of the Presidential Task Force for Rebuilding Sri Lanka, enables Sri Lanka to move from immediate relief to a coordinated, risk-informed recovery framework aligned with the global “build back better” principles. The National Planning Department and the Disaster Management Centre provide joint leadership in steering this complex, time-bound exercise. The World Bank, the European Union, the Asian Development Bank, and the UN  provided technical expertise and financial support, which ensured the assessment’s international alignment and credibility. Technical teams and District authorities delivered sector-wise data under challenging conditions. He stressed the need to ensure that recovery priorities reflect ground realities, “through strong institutional coordination and sustained partnerships”.

Source - The Morning