Teams up with Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to mobilise community donations
Uber Sri Lanka today announced a partnership with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to support relief and recovery efforts for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah. As part of this initiative, Uber is contributing approximately LKR 65 million towards emergency relief, combining funds for essential supplies, mobility support, and grocery access for affected families.
In addition to this partnership, Uber will also work with the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to support a public Donation Drive aimed at making it easier for the general public to participate in relief efforts, and donate dry rations and other essential goods for affected households.
The support will enable the Red Cross team to procure and distribute dry-ration kits, life-saving medicines, and essential care packages worth LKR 30 million across affected regions. Additionally, Uber will provide free rides worth over LKR 17.5 million to Red Cross teams to facilitate safe transport during rescue and relief operations. Uber Eats will provide LKR 17.5 million to the Red Cross Society to procure groceries and essential supplies from local merchants for free deliveries to cyclone-impacted households.
Additionally, through its collaboration with the CMC, the company will facilitate donation pick-ups from those who want to support affected families through the Uber app, to be dropped off at a central collection point set up by CMC at the Colombo Town Hall.
Varun Wijewardane, Country Manager – Delivery, Uber Sri Lanka, said, “Uber Sri Lanka is focussed on providing sustained support to our community that has been severely impacted by the devastating events of the past few days. Our partnership with the Red Cross allows us to effectively get essentials into the hands of those who need immediate support through the Red Cross national network. We will also contribute via the Uber Eats platform in the weeks ahead, enabling the Red Cross to source groceries and other essentials from our wide network of merchants and get them quickly and safely to affected communities.”
Kaushalya Gunaratne, Country Manager – Mobility, Uber Sri Lanka, said, “We want to do our part during this time of need. In critical moments like this, on-ground mobility can connect help and resources to those who need it most. We don’t want transport to become a barrier for relief efforts, and we’re offering free Uber rides to help Red Cross teams move quickly across affected areas to support impacted families. Our commitment is long-term, and we will continue to stand with Sri Lanka whenever our network can make a difference.”
Jagath Abeysinghe, Senior Vice President, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, said: “Uber’s support significantly boosts our ability to respond quickly on the ground. The combined assistance, funding, mobility support and access to essential supplies, will help our teams reach more affected families across the impacted districts. We deeply appreciate Uber’s solidarity during this challenging time.”
This initiative builds on Uber’s ongoing collaboration with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, including prior joint efforts to support vaccination transport services and community relief drives during COVID and providing emergency first-aid training to drivers to enhance safety on the platform.
The partnership with CMC further extends Uber’s commitment by activating the community to take part in relief efforts and helping ensure support reaches affected families swiftly and efficiently. Sri Lankans can participate in the donation drive by following these steps:
On the Uber app
- Pack dry rations or other essential goods you want to donate in an easy-to-carry pack
- Open the Uber app and select ‘Courier’
- For packages less than 5 kg, use Courier Moto
- For packages between 5 kg to 25 kg, use Courier Auto
- Change the drop destination to “CMC – Colombo Town Hall & Municipal Council”
- Proceed to confirming the ride
All donation-related trips originating from Core Colombo to the collection point will be free of charge.
With Cyclone Ditwah affecting many regions across the country, Uber remains committed to supporting emergency response and helping communities rebuild in the weeks ahead.
Source: Ada Derana Biz
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