During the ceremony, UN Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche declared that the relief programme had been successfully implemented owing to the strong political leadership and the swift response demonstrated in managing the disaster situation.When contacted by The Sunday Morning, All Ceylon Free Grama Niladhari Officers’ Union (ACFGNOU) General Secretary Jagath Chandralal said that while the UN’s programme had concluded, disaster relief duties were still ongoing.“They are of a slow-paced nature. There isn’t a very active process of making payments,” he remarked, adding that several problems had long surfaced alongside various deficiencies in the circulars released regarding Cyclone Ditwah relief funds.Chandralal specifically noted that the assessments for fund distribution were based solely on the grama niladhari’s report, which many officers disliked. He explained: “Right now, even if there is slight damage to the walls of a house, there is a maximum compensation of Rs. 500,000. If that is given, then later on, given the current situation, it will be claimed that the Government’s money was misused. Therefore, the officers fear they will face problems in the future.”

Due to this fear, several grama niladhari officers are reluctant to make an assessment alone. As such, they are requesting that assessments be done through the proper methodology.According to Chandralal, although the officers had been engaged in duties from the beginning till now, many divisional secretariat offices – even in areas that faced major disaster such as Badulla and Nuwara Eliya – have yet to pay them a single cent, showing a noticeable lack of appreciation.“Those officers are now very discouraged while performing their duties. As an officer who worked during the tsunami disaster – which at the time had more damage and impact than this – I know that they have reached a state where they can’t work actively. Back then, many officers even reached the point of self-harm; however, they were quickly provided cover and protection, as well as motivation for the process to be carried out. This time, there is no such motivation for their efforts.”Chandralal expressed that the Government’s incentive to provide houses in Badulla to re-home those who had lost their own in the disaster had also been halted due to legal issues of land ownership.

A press release by the UN on Thursday stated: “At its peak, over 2.2 million people across all 25 districts were affected, including an estimated 522,000 children. Over 640 people lost their lives and 173 remained missing as of January 2026.”Accordingly, critical assistance had been delivered to 575,000 of the most vulnerable people (87% of the targeted population of over 650,000 people) across all 25 districts, with assistance concentrated in the hardest-hit areas of Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, and Kegalle. The release noted that, to assist in relief efforts, the response raised $ 28.5 million in donor contributions against a total requirement of $ 35.3 million.