Sri Lankan IP Teams Struggle to Rebuild After Devastating Cyclone

A devastating cyclone sat stationary above the entire island of Sri Lanka and deluged it for two full days on November 27, 2025. Some 20% of the land mass was affected by massive floods and landslides that buried villages, homes and people. Roads, railways and bridges were impassable. Hundreds of people died and many more lost their livelihoods.

The effect was most severe in the hill-country, in villages around the city of Kandy. Most of our IP Teams are located in the villages and tea estates in that area. Many IP Team members saw their homes damaged or destroyed that they needed to find alternative places to live. Fifty six Home Gardening Projects and community farms which the Sri Lankan IP Teams worked hard to build and became a life-line of food security for the families were destroyed.

Five months later, some families still live in tents. The government has been slow to give them the necessary aid, they say, because they are “estate Tamils” (a traditionally marginalized community). The IP Teams are now working to do actions targeting the government officials responsible.

Sureeka, an enterprising mother has already rebuilt her home garden and replenished her livestock with a cow and chickens. She is fortunate not to have had significant landslides in her home garden.