The Hon. Upali Samarasingha - Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, our Motherland has faced the gravest disaster in recent history, causing loss of life and property. Yet we must also note how society responded. Compared with public sentiment before November 2024, we now see Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities uniting with trust and brotherhood, making selfless contributions—something that allows us to confront and overcome this calamity.

¶ 02 Even prisoners donated their meal allowances; estate workers donated a day’s wage; people from the South brought fishing boats, backhoes, and tippers to other regions; religious leaders joined hands. I saw images of Muslim brethren cleaning and restoring a Buddhist temple. In 2024, division and distrust were rife; but with the current government and this monumental disaster, people have united. This unity will help us prevail.

¶ 03 In Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, and Mannar, I travelled on the 26th—it took 13–14 hours instead of the usual five. Past midnight, we saw police and villagers clearing fallen trees in the rain to open roads. From the evening of the 26th to the morning of the 27th, officials had evacuated many. With the Agriculture, Provincial, and Irrigation Departments, we opened sluices, cut spillways, and managed reservoirs to minimize downstream impact.

¶ 04 About 665 people were stranded on rooftops across the three districts—Navy and Air Force assisted rapid rescues with the District Secretaries. State officials—District Secretaries, Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi officers—worked around the clock. The Vavuniya District Secretary, from Kandy, lost communications with his own family for three days due to landslides but continued working. One Grama Niladhari in Settikulam, Mr. M.M. Ramesh, fell off a large bridge with his motorbike swept away, yet he proceeded on foot and worked in his division for three days; his bicycle was found four days later. Such dedication must be recognized.

¶ 05 We have convened District Disaster Management Committees three times already and planned for current and future conditions. Mannar suffered the greatest damage; the Hon. President reviewed the situation there last week and accelerated measures with provincial and central agencies. Around 22,000 acres of paddy have been damaged in Mannar; more than 10,000 cattle died. The business community of Vavuniya assisted, and we took dry rations to Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.

¶ 06 In Settikulam and other flooded areas, we helped clean and rehabilitate homes. The most important observation is that in the North, Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims worked together without politics. The people trust the Government and the President, and together we will rise. Thank you.