The International monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board has approved an emergency disbursement of SDR 150.5 million (about $206 million) to Sri Lanka under the Rapid Financing Instrument, following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The funding, equal to 26% of Sri Lanka’s quota, is aimed at addressing urgent balance-of-payments and fiscal pressures.

Despite the disaster, Sri Lanka has reaffirmed its commitment to the IMF-backed economic reform programme, while the Fifth Review under the Extended Fund Facility has been deferred to assess the cyclone’s full economic impact.