By: Isuru Parakrama
December 11, Colombo (LNW): A UK-based humanitarian initiative has been launched to support thousands of Sri Lankan families affected by the severe flooding triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, which swept across multiple districts with devastating force.
Global Exchange Ltd, a long-established money transfer service operating since 1995, has begun accepting cash donations to help fund official relief efforts in the island nation, where torrential rains, mass displacement and widespread damage have overwhelmed local authorities and communities.
The campaign, branded under the company’s Smart Money service, urges the Sri Lankan communities and the wider British public to stand in solidarity with those whose lives have been upended by the sudden onset of floods.
With entire neighbourhoods submerged, transport links paralysed and homes destroyed, the need for rapid humanitarian assistance has become increasingly urgent. In response, Global Exchange has committed to forwarding all contributions directly to designated flood-relief accounts managed by Sri Lanka’s Treasury, ensuring donations reach government-authorised emergency support channels without delay.
Donors are asked to provide only basic details—namely their name and telephone number—when handing over contributions. To encourage maximum participation, the company has waived all commission fees associated with the transfers, emphasising that every pound donated will go entirely towards relief efforts.
Funds collected through the programme will be remitted to two official government accounts: one at the Bank of Ceylon’s Thaprobane branch and another at People’s Bank in Union Place, both held under the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury.
The firm is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and registered as an HMRC Money Service Business, adding additional layers of oversight to reassure contributors of the legitimacy and accountability of the initiative.
With Cyclone Ditwah’s impact continuing to reverberate across Sri Lanka, the economic and social implications are becoming more visible. Flood-affected districts—many already grappling with the country’s broader economic challenges—now face extensive crop losses, damaged infrastructure and disruptions to education as schools remain closed in several regions. Families living in low-lying or marginalised communities have found themselves disproportionately affected, with the destruction of homes and livelihoods compounding existing vulnerabilities. For diaspora communities in the UK, the appeal has resonated deeply, with many maintaining close family ties to areas hardest hit by the floodwaters.
For further information or to make a donation, supporters may contact Global Exchange on 0208 902 3366.
