Sri Lanka: Cyclone Ditwah recovery assessment to take 6 months; $2-3B cost

• Sri Lanka's Deputy Finance Minister stated it will take six months to fully assess the cost of recovery and reconstruction after Cyclone Ditwah.
• The 'Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund,' established by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, is managing recovery efforts, with contributions from countries like India.
• The government has requested USD 200 million from the IMF, with an initial recovery estimate between USD 2-3 billion.
• The cyclone resulted in 639 deaths, 203 missing persons, and affected over 1.8 million people.
• Significant agricultural damage includes 16,000 animal farms destroyed, 35,000 cattle deaths, and millions of poultry lost.

Why It Matters: Sri Lanka faces a lengthy, costly recovery after Cyclone Ditwah's immense devastation.