Nearly a month after Cyclone Ditwah tore across Sri Lanka, the scale of destruction and human suffering remains profound.
Despite emergency response efforts, more than a million people still require critical aid, and recovery is expected to take months, if not years.
A Catastrophic Storm and Its Aftermath
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on 28 November 2025, bringing torrential rains, intense winds, widespread flooding and deadly landslides across all 25 districts.
Roads and bridges were washed away, cutting off entire communities and complicating rescue and relief efforts.
More than 2.2 million people were affected, with over 1.2 million still in need of assistance.
The disaster has damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes and severely disrupted basic services — from potable water and electricity to healthcare and education.
Ongoing Humanitarian Needs
The United Nations and humanitarian partners have outlined urgent priority needs to prevent further loss of life and support recovery.
These include:
Food security and nutrition: Many families remain without reliable access to food, and malnutrition risks are increasing.
Safe water, sanitation, and hygiene: Flooding contaminated water supplies, heightening disease risks including diarrheal illnesses.
Health services: Hospitals and clinics were damaged; essential services need restoration to prevent outbreaks and support maternity, child, and general care.
Shelter and non‑food items: Displaced families need safe housing, bedding, cooking equipment, and other essentials.
Protection and psychosocial support: Displacement and trauma have affected vulnerable populations — especially children, women, and older adults.
Children and Vulnerable Populations at Risk
Children are among the most severely affected. UNICEF reports that hundreds of thousands of children face disrupted education, interrupted health services, and unsafe living conditions.
Women and girls, in particular, need specialized support: reproductive health services, protection from gender‑based violence, and psychosocial care — prompting a USD 8.3 million appeal from UNFPA.
National and International Response
The Sri Lankan government declared a state of emergency shortly after the cyclone, appealing for international assistance.
Key international responses include:
United Nations and humanitarian partners launching a US$35.3 million Humanitarian Priorities Plan to support life‑saving aid through early 2026.
World Bank Group providing up to US$120 million in emergency support to restore essential services and infrastructure.
Bilateral aid deliveries from countries such as Pakistan, China, and the United States, as well as expanded logistics support from the US Air Force.
Despite these efforts, funding gaps remain, and humanitarian agencies continue to urge more support from the international community.
Challenges to Recovery
Even where immediate relief has arrived, many challenges persist:
Inaccessible regions: Mountainous and remote areas are still difficult to reach due to damaged infrastructure.
Fear among survivors: Some displaced families are too afraid to return to unstable homes, prolonging reliance on relief centers.
Health system strain: Healthcare facilities need major repairs and supplies, and there’s a high risk of disease outbreaks.
Sri Lanka’s road to recovery will require long‑term international partnership and domestic commitment.
Beyond immediate aid, rebuilding infrastructure, restoring livelihoods, and strengthening resilience to future disasters remain key priorities.
For now, the emphasis remains firmly on delivering life‑saving assistance, closing funding gaps, and ensuring no one — especially children and vulnerable groups — is left behind as the country moves from response to recovery.
