A-PAD Sri Lanka Extends Relief to Flood-Affected Communities in Mutur, Sri Lanka
Heavy rainfall associated with Cyclone Ditwah triggered widespread flooding across Sri Lanka in late November 2025, affecting thousands of families and damaging homes and livelihoods. Among the hardest-hit areas was Mutur.
Located about 28 kilometres from Trincomalee district in the eastern province, Mutur has faced multiple challenges over the years – from the impacts of the civil conflict to natural disasters such as floods and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami – and remains vulnerable to recurring flooding.
This year, Cyclone Ditwah triggered one of the most significant flood events the locality has experienced in recent years. The situation worsened when a section of the Mavil Aru Tank embankment was breached following heavy rainfall, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate as floodwaters surged through surrounding villages.
Supporting the hardest hit when it matters the most
Across 42 Grama Niladhari divisions, approximately 22,378 people (6,941 families) were affected, including more than 3,720 children and 8,283 elderly individuals. Floodwaters inundated homes, disrupted livelihoods, and limited access to essential goods and services, creating significant challenges for affected households.
However, many families – particularly daily wage labourers, farmers, fishermen, forestry workers and livestock rearers – continue to face significant hardship as they work to restore their homes and livelihoods. With incomes dependent on daily work and natural resources, recovering from the disruption caused by the floods has proven especially difficult for these communities. Ongoing fuel supply constraints in Sri Lanka, linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East, have further compounded these challenges by affecting transportation, access to markets, and the cost of essential goods.
As communities continue to cope with the longer-term impacts of the floods, A-PAD SL directed additional relief support to vulnerable households in the Mutur Divisional Secretariat Division. Through funds raised via a crowdfunding initiative coordinated by A-PAD Management Office Japan, 177 dry ration packs were distributed to families, include 60 families in the Vedatheevu and 117 families in the Mohammadiya Mosque area. Each dry ration pack included essential food items intended to support families’ daily needs for a couple of weeks as they begin to recover from the floods.
Delivering Relief in Hard-to-reach areas
Delivering assistance to some of the affected communities required careful coordination due to the remote nature of the area. A-PAD staff and volunteers transported relief items by truck to the Mohammadiya Mosque area, while access to the Vedatheevu island community required small ferries. Within the island, bullock carts were used for the final stretch to transport supplies to households.
This response was made possible through the generosity of our donors. A-PAD Sri Lanka extends its sincere appreciation to the people of Japan and all contributors who supported the crowdfunding effort coordinated by the A-PAD Management Office Japan, enabling relief to reach vulnerable families in Mutur.
As communities continue to recover from the impacts of Cyclone Ditwah, such collaboration highlights the importance of international solidarity in supporting disaster-affected communities.
