Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on November 28 before returning to the Bay of Bengal, causing Some of the most severe flooding Sri Lanka has seen since the early 2000s..
The worst affected districts are Gampaha, Colombo, Puttalam and Mannar, as well as Trincomalee and Batticaloa, while deadly landslides in the central mountainous region have devastated Kandy, Badulla and Matale.
Destroyed houses, destroyed infrastructure
Initial assessments indicate that more than 15,000 homes have been destroyed. More than 200 roads remain impassable, at least 10 bridges have been damaged and sections of the railway network and the national electricity grid have been affected.
Flooding along the Kelani River, which runs through Colombo and surrounding low-lying areas, continues to hamper access and disrupt the flow of information to affected communities, complicating rescue and relief operations.
In northern districts such as Jaffna, there have been serious disruptions to electricity, mobile phone, communications and transport networks, with entire villages isolated..
Access to drinking water also remains a major concern, with several areas reporting little or no supply.
The health system is under pressure and food insecurity looms
Sri Lanka’s already fragile health system is under severe pressureOCHA said. Several district hospitals remain inundated and receiving limited supplies, with critically ill patients being airlifted to functioning facilities.
The response is further hampered by recurrent landslides and the breaching of multiple tank dams (embankments or barriers), including in Mavilaaru, increasing risks in Trincomalee and Batticaloa.
Authorities have also warned of growing food insecurity, as submerged farmland, damaged storage facilities and cut supply routes threaten shortages and rising prices in the coming weeks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Flooding significantly increases the risk of vector-, food- and water-borne diseases.urging communities to prevent mosquito bites, ensure food security and use safe water whenever possible.
Floodwaters have entered several hospitals in Sri Lanka, further straining the health system.
The UN mobilizes a coordinated response
The United Nations in Sri Lanka on Sunday activated its emergency coordination system to expand a unified response with government agencies and humanitarian organizations.
Sectoral coordination has been established on food security, health, water and sanitation (WASH), education, protection, housing and early recovery, while a multi-sector needs assessment is being carried out with disaster management authorities to identify the most urgent gaps.
“The UN in Sri Lanka is mobilizing its teams across the system to support national rescue and early recovery efforts, in coordination with the authorities. We stand in solidarity with all affected communities,” said UN Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche.
Despite access problems, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has delivered drinking water to 25 security centers in Badulla, in the central hills, which had been cut off from the rest of the country by flooding and damage to infrastructure.
To support government-led efforts, India and Pakistan have deployed emergency teams to work alongside the Sri Lankan armed forces in the worst affected districts.
Meanwhile, in the broader Asian region
severe monsoon Floods continue in Thailand and Malaysiawhich affected more than two million people in southern Thailand alone and displaced almost 25,000 people in Malaysia, according to OCHA. People have been evacuated in several hardest-hit Thai provinces, while rain is expected to ease in the coming days.
In IndonesiaMedia reports cite at least 440 deaths from flooding and landslides, and more than 400 people missing, particularly in parts of Sumatra, where thousands of people remain stranded without access to food and water.