Emergency Food Relief for 65 Flood-Affected Fishing Families in Paddalipuram, Trincomalee District

In the last few days, communities across the Eastern Province experienced a renewed wave of heavy rainfall, compounding the already devastating impacts of Cyclone Ditwah. In the Trincomalee District, continuous rain led to severe flooding in several areas of the Muthur Division, with Elakkanthai Paddalipuram Village identified as one of the worst affected.

This recent rainfall, arriving on top of earlier cyclone damage, caused water to enter homes, damaging houses, household items, fishing equipment, and destroying stored food supplies. Families dependent on fishing for their livelihoods were left facing sudden food insecurity and growing economic hardship.

Filling an Urgent Gap in Support

While government assistance was being provided to some affected communities, families in Elakkanthai Paddalipuram had not yet received food support at the time of our assessment. With further heavy rain continuing to hit the Eastern Province and conditions deteriorating rapidly, Vanni Hope stepped in to fill this critical gap and ensure families were not left without assistance.

Our field teams worked closely with the local fishing society and community leaders to identify households most affected by the flooding and loss of food supplies.

Emergency Food Relief Delivered

On 26 December 2025, Vanni Hope implemented an emergency food relief intervention for families in Elakkanthai Paddalipuram Village, under the Muthur Division.

Through this response, 65 flood-affected families from the Elakkanthai Fishing Society received immediate food assistance. Priority was given to households that experienced significant damage to their homes and livelihoods due to flooding.

This intervention aimed to:

• Provide immediate food support to flood-affected families
• Reduce food insecurity among vulnerable fishing community households
• Engage with the community on recovery needs and future livelihood support

Community Impact

For families who had lost both food supplies and income due to damaged fishing equipment and unsafe conditions at sea, this assistance provided much-needed relief during a critical period. Community members expressed gratitude that support reached them when they had been overlooked and when additional rainfall had made daily survival increasingly difficult.

This emergency response was made possible through the generous support of the people of Malaysia, whose solidarity helped ensure families received timely assistance during a challenging time.

Continuing Our Cyclone Ditwah Response

This intervention forms part of Vanni Hope’s broader Cyclone Ditwah emergency response, which continues to evolve as new needs emerge. With ongoing rainfall affecting multiple regions, our teams remain on the ground monitoring conditions, responding to gaps in assistance, and supporting communities as they work towards recovery.

We remain committed to stepping in where help is needed most, especially when sudden changes on the ground place already vulnerable families at further risk.

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