December 13, Colombo (LNW): Singapore has pledged fresh backing for relief efforts in Sri Lanka, setting aside US$100,000 (about S$129,000) as seed funding to boost a public fundraising drive led by the Singapore Red Cross (SRC).
The move is intended to galvanise wider donations as communities across the island struggle to recover from a powerful cyclone that struck earlier this month.
The government’s contribution adds to the SRC’s own commitment of S$50,000, which is being directed towards urgent humanitarian needs such as shelter, clean water and medical assistance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the combined support reflects Singapore’s desire to stand with Sri Lanka during a period of acute hardship.
In a separate gesture of solidarity, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan have written to their Sri Lankan counterparts, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, to express condolences over the heavy loss of life and extensive damage caused by the storm.
Cyclone Ditwah tore through Sri Lanka roughly two weeks ago, unleashing severe flooding and landslides across much of the country. Authorities estimate that more than two million people — nearly a tenth of the population — have been affected, making it the most destructive cyclone to hit the island in a century. At least 639 deaths have been confirmed, while around 200 people remain unaccounted for.
The scale of the disaster has prompted an international appeal. The United Nations has urged donors to step forward, noting that Sri Lanka cannot shoulder the cost of reconstruction alone. UN resident coordinator Marc-André Franche has outlined a US$35.3 million emergency funding plan, with US$9.5 million already secured from partners including the European Union, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom.
