Cyclone Ditwah Leaves Over 275,000 Children in Sri Lanka in Urgent Need of Assistance

Sri Lanka is grappling with a mounting humanitarian crisis as Cyclone Ditwah wreaks havoc across the country. Making landfall on the East Coast on 28 November, the storm triggered widespread flooding and destructive landslides, affecting an estimated 1.4 million people, including more than 275,000 children. Experts warn that the true figures could be higher due to communication disruptions and blocked transport routes.

The cyclone has severely damaged homes and critical infrastructure, leaving families displaced and essential services interrupted. These conditions put children at heightened risk of disease, malnutrition, unsafe living conditions, and emotional trauma.

The crisis compounds the struggles of communities already weakened by previous shocks, including Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic hardships. A 2025 World Bank report highlights that poverty has more than doubled since 2019, rising from 11.3% to 24.5%, making access to basic necessities increasingly difficult for millions of families.

UNICEF is actively coordinating with the government, local authorities, and partner organizations to deliver urgent support. Efforts are being scaled up to provide clean water, nutritional supplies, psychosocial care, and emergency education materials to displaced children and mothers in the most severely impacted areas.

A UNICEF spokesperson emphasized the critical nature of the response, noting that while the storm has passed, its effects continue to threaten the safety and well-being of the country’s most vulnerable children.