President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed police to forcibly remove residents who refuse to leave high-risk flood zones, citing the extreme danger posed to rescue teams by last-minute evacuation requests. This directive was issued during a discussion held via Zoom with Governors and District Secretaries...

The government has formulated a new mechanism to allow the importation of essential relief goods provided by foreign donors for disaster-affected communities, exempt from all customs duties and fees. It is reported that this system was established in response to numerous requests from foreign...