KUFMTA Leads Compassionate, Coordinated, and Community-Driven Disaster Relief Efforts Following Cyclone Ditwah
In the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, widespread strong winds, heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides caused severe damage to homes, infrastructure, and essential services across several regions of Sri Lanka. Responding swiftly to this humanitarian crisis, the Kelaniya University Faculty of Medicine Teachers’ Association (KUFMTA) initiated a series of coordinated relief efforts to support both internal university members and affected external communities.
Following a request from the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, KUFMTA organized an immediate donation drive. The academic staff, non-academic staff, and student community demonstrated exceptional solidarity and generosity by contributing essential relief items, including dry rations, sanitary products, non-prescription medicines, and household necessities. All collected items were formally handed over to the University of Kelaniya Disaster Relief Team and subsequently distributed through the Sri Lanka Air Force, ensuring timely delivery to severely affected and hard-to-reach areas.
Within the Faculty of Medicine community, several staff members and students experienced significant personal losses due to storm related floods and landslides. In response, KUFMTA mobilised financial support through member contributions to assist affected individuals. In collaboration with the faculty administration, KUFMTA developed and implemented formal disaster-relief guidelines to ensure transparency, equity, and accountability in the allocation of financial assistance. Immediate support was provided based on assessed needs and the extent of damage incurred. With the remaining funds KUFMTA was able to distribute 20 care packages each valued at LKR 15,000 to landslide-affected families in the Mirissala, Ambatenna area. These care packages were designed to address immediate household and personal needs during the recovery period and were distributed based on verified assessments, further strengthening KUFMTA’s commitment to timely, dignified, and needs-based support.
In addition to material and financial assistance, KUFMTA members extended their professional expertise by volunteering their time to support health services in collaboration with the MOH Ragama. These services were delivered to affected populations in the Wattala and Ja-Ela areas, reinforcing University of Kelaniya’s commitment to community service and public health during times of crisis.
Through these collective efforts, the University of Kelaniya continues to exemplify compassion, professionalism, and community leadership, in alignment with its institutional vision of social responsibility and national service, while contributing directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
