Sri Lanka: Request for Purchase Under the Rapid Financing Instrument-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was hit by catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah on November 28, claiming more than 600 lives as of December 6 and affecting millions more. Severe flooding and landslides displaced over 100,000 people and caused extensive destruction of houses, roads, bridges, rail lines, buildings including schools and hospitals, and agricultural land nationwide. The natural disaster creates urgent humanitarian and reconstruction needs, leading to acute balance-of-payments (BOP) pressures. The cyclone hit as Sri Lanka is emerging from a deep economic crisis and the IMF-supported reform program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) begins to bear fruit.