Sawt Falasteen - Sri Lanka unveils cyclone aid plan as rains persist

The government has confirmed 607 deaths, with another 214 people missing and feared dead, in what President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called the country's most challenging natural disaster.

More than two million people -- nearly 10 percent of the population -- have been affected.

Survivors will be offered up to 10 million rupees ($33,000) to buy land in a safer location and build a new house, the finance ministry said in a statement late Friday.

The government is also offering one million rupees as compensation for each person killed or permanently disabled.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said more than 71,000 homes were damaged, including nearly 5,000 that were completely destroyed by last week's floods and landslides.

Around 150,000 people remain in state-run shelters, down from a peak of 225,000.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it was considering Sri Lanka’s request for an additional $200 million, on top of the $347 million tranche the country was already due to receive this month.

"The IMF remains closely engaged with the Sri Lankan authorities during this challenging period, and is committed to supporting the country as it undertakes urgent efforts to recover, rebuild and promote resilience for the future," the Washington-based lender said late Friday.

Cyclone Ditwah devastated swathes of Sri Lanka as it was emerging from its worst economic crisis in 2022, following a four-year, $2.9 billion bailout loan from the IMF agreed in early 2023.

Dissanayake told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka's economy had made a significant recovery, but was not strong enough to withstand the latest shock alone.

Meanwhile, the DMC said more rain was expected in many parts of the country, including the worst-affected central region, triggering fears of more landslides.

That has hampered clean-up operations.

However, residents evacuated from the landslide-prone central hills have been told not to return immediately to their homes, even if they were unaffected by the slips.

A fresh landslide alert was issued on Friday for areas not covered by previous warnings.

L.Hussein--SF-PST