04/03/2026
Hill Country | Joint Mission | Cyclone Ditwah Response
Coordination, Collaboration and Communities at the centre
A joint mission comprising the Australian High Commission, Sri Lanka, the British High Commission Colombo, UNOPS Sri Lanka and Vriddhi civil society members—alongside Shelter & Settlements and Logistics Sector Leads—was held last week across Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, and Hatton to engage directly with cyclone-affected communities and local authorities in Sri Lanka’s Hill Country.
The visit focused on:
🏠 Understanding shelter damage and displacement dynamics
🚚 Reviewing access and last-mile logistics constraints
🤝 Aligning practical next steps for assistance delivery, shelter and early recovery—especially for estate and hard-to-reach communities
🌐 Reviewing community-based disaster prevention and early warning systems, including local preparedness measures, risk awareness, and linkages between communities and authorities
📊 Reviewing progress of the UNOPS Vriddhi cyclone response, including central NFI procurement pipelines, field operations, partner-led distributions, and emerging scale-up priorities.
The mission created space to listen to displaced and affected communities, exchange with frontline responders, and strengthen collective, locally grounded solutions that priorities dignity, protection, and inclusion.Uva Shakthi Foundation EMPOWERING VULNERABLE SOCIETY
