The inside of a wooden house damaged by cyclone Ditwah, with varying household items recovered from the floods gathered in different piles.

Brief

Preliminary employment assessment of the impact of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka

Up to 374,000 workers affected, potential income losses accruing to US$48 million per month, 16% of national GDP at risk.

The brief underscores the urgent need for emergency cash employment-intensive early recovery programmes to restore livelihoods, especially for the most vulnerable. Alongside sectoral support to agriculture, plantations, fisheries, it also calls for assistance to micro, small and medium enterprises, integrating occupational safety and health into recovery and reconstruction, and strengthening social protection systems to build resilience.

Given the evolving situation and the preliminary nature of the findings, the ILO will continue to monitor labour market and social impacts and deepen analysis on medium-term measures needed to promote decent work, safe and healthy workplaces, and sustainable livelihood recovery.

For more information:

Matthieu Charpe, Sr. Economist, Employment Policy Department - [email protected]

Anoop Satpathy, Wage Specialist, ILO Country Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives- [email protected]