Colombo: Sri Lanka’s request for a Rapid Finance Instrument is being considered as a
priority by the IMF in view of the recovery efforts after the devastating cyclone Ditwah, the global lender said Sunday.
Catastrophic floods and landslides following Cyclone Ditwah have left Sri Lanka grappling
with severe infrastructure collapse as search operations continue for those buried under landslides little more than a week after the disaster struck the country.
As many as 627 people have died and over 190 remained missing
even as search operations for those buried under landslides continued a week after the cyclone struck the country.
“In light of the Sri Lankan authorities’ request for emergency financing, IMF board consideration of the Rapid
Financing Instrument request is the priority at the current juncture,” the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
spokesman said.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday said that he was seeking USD 200 million from the IMF outside the extended fund facility programme with the global lender.