ASIA/SRI LANKA - After Typhoon Ditwah, "we have to start from scratch," says the director of the Pontifical Mission Societies

Colombo (Agenzia Fides) – “After the typhoon unleashed its destructive force, the immeasurable damage to infrastructure and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people is now visible. The entire country has been devastated, and the damage is three times greater than that caused by the 2004 tsunami. Roads, houses, railway lines, and bridges have been destroyed: the devastation is impressive. A mudslide has destroyed the lives of many people who now have to start from scratch. It’s a new beginning; they have to roll up their sleeves and start again,” Father Basil Rohan Fernando, a priest from Colombo and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Sri Lanka, told Fides, reflecting on the force of Cyclone Ditwah and its aftermath.
“It’s devastating to see the damage caused by the mud, which has swallowed everything in the remaining houses: household appliances, books, clothing—everything is unusable. People are desperate; they suddenly find themselves with only the clothes on their backs. It’s truly heartbreaking,” the priest remarks. “Now the focus is on trying to clean the houses, but as I said, only the skeletons remain. And there’s the problem of survival and meeting basic needs: Where can you find food and some rice? And where can you cook it?” he notes. “Agriculture and fishing have suffered severe damage: Vast tea plantations and other farmland have been destroyed, and thousands of farmers and fishermen, who represent a significant part of the national economy, are facing the struggle for survival,” the PMS director adds. “With all this,” he notes, “one must acknowledge the government’s extraordinary commitment: families are being offered subsidies, and rescue and emergency teams, some of whom have come from abroad, are deployed throughout the country.”
Father Fernando also recalls the commitment of the Catholic communities: “There is a widespread mobilization; everyone is ready to help. Young volunteers, in particular, are active in various regions of the country, especially in the hardest-hit areas, such as the dioceses of Badulla and Kandy in the center of the island.” “This is a spirit that warms suffering hearts,” he says. “The Church’s commitment to supporting the faithful in difficult times, the Bishop of Badulla, Jude Nishantha Silva, has been incredible and it has visited several parishes to offer comfort and demonstrate tangible support by bringing essential supplies. And many other priests and religious are doing the same,” he reports. In addition to Caritas, “the Pontifical Mission Societies are also committed to supporting families: We are all providing resources for those who have lost everything,” says the priest. “We are experiencing this Advent season as a special time of solidarity and charity,” he emphasizes. “We are spiritually united, in spiritual communion, and we also feel the closeness of Pope Leo, to whom we are grateful that he remembered us in the Angelus on December 7: He carries us in his heart and expresses his solidarity with us and prays for us; this is great encouragement for us.” “We are approaching Christmas, a time of hope. We pray and believe that this will be a moment of rebirth and new hope for the future for Sri Lanka,” concludes Father Fernando. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 9/12/2025)

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