Cyclone Ditwah Causes Extensive Flooding and Landslides in Sri Lanka
Last week, Cyclone Ditwah made landfall in Sri Lanka, resulting in widespread flooding and landslides across the South Asian island nation. The disaster has led to the deaths of over 400 individuals, left hundreds missing, and destroyed approximately 20,000 homes. More than one million people have been affected by the extreme weather event.
In response to the emergency, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency. The Sri Lankan military deployed helicopters to conduct rescue operations, and humanitarian aid began arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organizations.
Civilian Aid Initiatives
Local communities and individuals have initiated aid efforts. Actor and musician GK Reginold has been utilizing a motorized fishing boat in Colombo's suburbs to deliver food and water to affected families, some of whom reported not receiving assistance for several days due to isolation. Other volunteers have also employed fishing boats for rescue operations and aid distribution.
In Colombo's Wijerama neighborhood, a group of activists, previously involved in protests against former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022, have established a community kitchen. This kitchen prepares and distributes food aid to residents impacted by the floods. The 2022 protests were prompted by an economic crisis that caused shortages of essential supplies such as fuel, food, and medicine, leading to Rajapaksa's removal from office.
Sasindu Sahan Tharaka, a social media activist participating in the community kitchen effort, noted that volunteers contributed time after work, took shifts, and some utilized leave to assist. He stated the group reactivated its network following reports of the disaster. Mr. Sahan also cited his involvement in similar volunteer work during the 2016 floods, which resulted in 250 fatalities.
Volunteers associated with the community kitchen have compiled and forwarded requests for assistance to authorities, concurrently organizing food distribution to residents. The community has provided substantial support for these efforts. Online campaigns have also been initiated to facilitate aid collection and distribution.