CYCLONE DITWA

SRI LANKAN DIASPORA RESPONDS SWIFTLY TO

- BY TINA EDWARD GUNAWARDHANA

When Cyclone Ditwa relentlessly ploughed into Sri Lanka, its winds shredded homes, its floods swallowed entire neighbourhoods, and its fury left tens of thousands displaced within hours.

The catastrophe unfolded in real time across global news channels and mobile screens, ricocheting through Sri Lankan communities scattered around the world. For many in the diaspora, the distance felt painfully immaterial.

"The destruction of homes, the disruption of lives, the collapse of essential infrastructure, and the scarcity of food and clean water have left many of us feeling a profound sense of grief and helplessness," said Sanji Jayathilake, President, CA Sri Lanka - Canada Chapter. "Though far from home, our emotional connection to our motherland makes the suffering of our families and friends feel painfully close."

Within hours, WhatsApp groups lit up across Canada. People who had not spoken in months reconnected instantly. The CA Sri Lanka Canada Chapter responded with remarkable speed: on November 27, 2025, the very day Ditwa made landfall, they launched an emergency fundraising campaign. Donations poured in from Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and small towns where only a handful of Sri Lankan families lived. Within just three days, the Chapter completed collection and officially donated the funds to CA Sri Lanka on December 1, 2025.

That rapid mobilisation reflected something deeper—a sense of responsibility tied to identity. "Across Canada, similar initiatives emerged as individuals and groups came together," Jayathilake added. "No matter the distance, our unity remains unshaken."

But as the diaspora rallied, a darker undercurrent surfaced online. Social media was littered with comments telling overseas Sri Lankans not to "meddle" in the country's affairs, accusing them of "performative activism" and suggesting that their distance disqualified them from aiding. Yet the diaspora refused to be discouraged.