Tamil communities across Mannar have mobilised grassroots relief efforts as families displaced by Cyclone Ditwah continue to struggle with shortages of food and basic necessities.

It has been a deeply painful week. As tens of thousands of Eelam Tamils gathered to mark Maaveerar Naal, or Great Heroes’ Day, Cyclone Ditwah tore across the island. It was a tragedy that could have, and should have, been mitigated. 

Tamil fishermen from Neduntheevu and Nainatheevu have suffered significant losses after Indian fishermen unlawfully intruded into their traditional fishing waters and destroyed fishing nets worth several lakhs of rupees.

The 41st anniversary of the Othiyamalai massacre was observed in Mullaitivu district last week, as families and political representatives gathered to remember the 32 Tamil civilians killed by the Sri Lankan Army on 2 December 1984.

Tamil Nadu dispatched 300 tonnes of essential relief materials to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka via the Indian Navy from Tuticorin Port

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has called for a Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate the state’s failures in responding to Cyclone Ditwah, while controversially urging the government to study disaster preparedness measures implemented under former president and accused war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

A memorial lamp tower erected as part of the ‘unextinguished lamp’ protest demanding justice for the Chemmani mass grave victims has once again been vandalised by unidentified individuals.

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) and the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) have reached a broad agreement to jointly exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government to hold Provincial Council elections in 2026 and to work towards formulating a common Tamil political position on the ethnic issue.

A US military flight landed at Jaffna International Airport earlier today, delivering a consignment of relief supplies for those affected by the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) have condemned remarks by Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala, urging to government to uphold freedom of expression.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it is assessing Sri Lanka’s economic needs in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which has left hundreds dead and caused catastrophic damage across the island. 

Sri Lanka’s stock market recorded its steepest weekly decline since 2022, as Cyclone Ditwah’s devastation compounded investor anxiety about the island’s already fragile economy. 

The ADB has approved a USD $100 million loan to support Sri Lanka’s power-sector reforms, but critics say the 2025 Electricity Act amendments conflict with the principles of the 2024 Act, which came under a package of IMF-backed reforms.

Sri Lankan intelligence officers in Valvettithurai have launched intensive inquiries into a blood donation camp that was organised to mark the birthday of the Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last week.