Lulu's Yusuffali leads UAE residents' aid for Sri Lanka with LKR 32 million donation

Abu Dhabi/ Dubai: Yusuffali MA, chairman of Abu Dhabi-headquartered Lulu Group, has led the UAE residents supporting ongoing cyclone relief and recovery efforts in Sri Lanka, following the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

He handed over financial assistance of LKR 32 million (USD 100,000) from the retail group to Arusha Cooray, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UAE, at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The contribution will go towards the national relief and recovery fund to help affected families and communities rebuild their lives.

"Sri Lanka has been a trusted partner for decades. Today, we stand with its people as long-term partners committed to rebuilding lives and communities. We are extending our support and stand in solidarity with our neighbouring nation," Yusuffali said in a statement.

Ambassador expresses gratitude

Ambassador Arusha Cooray expressed gratitude for the support, stating, "Yusuffali's support towards [cyclone and] flood relief will make a meaningful difference in alleviating the suffering of those affected in Sri Lanka. This contribution stands as a testament to Lulu's commitment to humanitarian causes. Such timely assistance will directly help families affected by Cyclone Ditwah and reinforces the strong bonds between our countries."

The ambassador also thanked the Sri Lankan expat community in the UAE for their efforts. "I am deeply moved by the overwhelming generosity of our community in the UAE for donations, tireless work, and heartfelt compassion. My sincere thanks to all of you and Embassy staff who worked tirelessly through the night for your dedication and unity," she said in a post on X.

Additional donations

Speaking to Gulf News, Alexi Gunasekera, Consul General of Sri Lanka to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, said the consulate in Dubai also received financial support from multiple sources.

He said Tristar Group CEO Eugene Mayne pledged to donate 25 million Sri Lanka rupees (Dh300,000) while Sri Lankan Quantity Surveyors in the UAE (SLQS-UAE) donated LKR 8.5 million and the Sri Lankan Professionals Association (SLPA) donated LKR 5.5 million.

"We are grateful to all our donors for their generous contributions at this time of crisis," said the Consul General.

Massive relief effort

He said the Sri Lankan missions in the UAE are also sending tonnes of relief materials by sea and air after the recent collection drive.

"One 40-foot container will go from Dubai tomorrow, plus another close to 10 tonnes of air cargo," he said.

He said the embassy in Abu Dhabi is also sending a 40-foot container by ship to Sri Lanka. The missions had launched the collection drive last week. The consulate even remained open for 24 hours.

"People want to keep sending things. But now we are concentrating on the rebuilding process, so we will ask the people to support us financially. We’re looking at people taking up projects such as building a school or infrastructure," the Consul General explained.

Unprecedented UAE support

He praised the UAE government's response as “unprecedented.” "The ninth flight from the UAE government also went to Sri Lanka, and the rescue and recovery team has done an amazing job. We have never seen this kind of support in the history of Sri Lanka from the UAE. It's highly commendable and really appreciated."

He revealed that the UAE recovery team has been working to locate missing persons. According to WAM, the team helped recover eight dead bodies as of Saturday.

"We had close to 200 missing people. Most of them, if we can't find them, will be added to the death toll, which could then go up to about 800-900,” said Gunasekera.

Latest disaster figures

According to the latest figures shared by the consul general, Cyclone Ditwah has claimed 635 lives, with 192 people still missing. The total number of people affected stands at 1.76 million.

"Some 5,300 houses have been completely destroyed, while partially damaged houses number 81,000. We have 690 safety centres where 22,000 families, that's 69,800 people, are still staying in those centres. That means they still need all these rations," Gunasekera said.

Relief operations continue

Relief operations are currently underway across several hard-hit regions, with authorities and humanitarian agencies working round the clock to restore essential services, provide shelter, and deliver food, medical aid, and clean drinking water to displaced residents.

The Sri Lankan government has opened local and foreign bank accounts for disaster relief contributions and has instructed diplomatic missions abroad to actively assist in mobilising much-needed funds from overseas partners, businesses, and the wider expatriate community.

Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on Sri Lanka's eastern coast on November 28, causing widespread devastation in what is being described as one of the country's deadliest environmental disasters in modern history.