Standard Project Report 2016
Project Objectives and Results
Project Objectives
On 15 May 2016, Sri Lanka was hit by tropical cyclone Roanu, which caused widespread devastation in many parts of the country, destroying homes and submerging entire villages. As a result, 24 out of 25 districts were affected by severe floods and landslides. At least 59,000 houses were damaged, of which 6,382 were destroyed. The storm affected 494,000 people: at least 93 people died; 33 people were injured; and 117 people were reported missing. More than 115,000 people were displaced from their homes and took refuge in temporary accommodation, including 350 safety centres, while other affected people stayed with friends or family, in makeshift housing, or on rooftops or upper floors of inundated houses. Cyclone Roanu was one of the worst recorded storms to ravage the country.
The districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kegalle, and Ratnapura were the most-heavily impacted areas, taking into account the number of people affected, the estimated value of damage to property and livelihoods, and the number of deaths, injuries, and missing persons. In certain areas of the urban districts of Colombo and Gampaha, there was over 1.5 metres of standing water for more than two weeks. Poor informal settlements and dilapidated housing were especially hard hit, exposing people who were already vulnerable to the risk of food insecurity. In rural districts of Kegalle and Ratnapura, landslides destroyed houses and submerged entire villages. Many people lost all their productive and personal assets. Many families that lived on steep mountains were alerted and evacuated to temporary camps in anticipation of landslides. The Government provided permanent resettlement to 50 families; however, families with no opportunity for resettlement continued to live in the camps at the end of 2016.
On 23 May 2016, a formal request for food assistance was sent by the Government of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Resident Coordinator and WFP to provide relief and to ensure food security among the affected population.
In response to the appeal, WFP launched a USD 2.3 million emergency operation( EMOP) to provide support to the Government of Sri Lanka in meeting the emergency food assistance needs of 40,000 beneficiaries( 10,000 households) in the four worst-affected districts from 15 June to 15 September 2016.
The overall objective of the emergency response was to save lives and protect the livelihoods of the population affected by floods and landslides, in line with the WFP Strategic Plan( 2014-2017) and WFP Strategic Objective 1. Specifically, the EMOP had the following objectives:
1. To ensure access to adequate food for the most vulnerable households who had lost their personal and productive assets, sources of livelihood, and agricultural land.
2. To prevent the build-up of unsustainable high levels of debt among the affected population, safeguarding livelihoods, and ensuring food security to prevent negative coping strategies.
3. To provide technical support to the Sri Lankan Government to scale-up the Government’ s main social safety net programme for use in emergencies.
In close cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka, relief assistance was provided to affected people through cash-based transfers using the Government’ s existing social safety net programme, operated by the Department of Divineguma Development, through a countrywide network of community development banks( Divineguma banks).
Approved Budget for Project Duration( USD)
Cost Category
Direct Support Costs 328,278
Indirect Support Costs 148,979
Cash & Voucher and Related Costs 1,800,000
Total 2,277,257
Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of( LK) 13 Single Country EMOP- 200990