Prioritise marginalised communities in disaster preparedness, equitable relief and economic justice

IT has been many days of relentless rains and winds devastating the island as Cyclonic Storm Ditwah approached and made landfall in Sri Lanka. At the time of writing, we are heartbroken that 355 people have lost their lives and 366 people are missing. Nearly 15,000 to 25,000 homes are damaged, and more than 59,000 families have been displaced.

- BY THE FEMINIST COLLECTIVE FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE

Two women marooned by the Cyclone Ditwah in Wellampitiya being helped by a soldier

(Pic by Pradeep Dilrukshana)

The highest casualties were reported from Badulla, Kandy, Kegalle, Matale and Nuwara Eliya districts, from areas especially prone to landslides and home to already marginalised and vulnerable working class tea plantation workers. Telecommunication lines are down in many districts, leaving people without a way to call for help. A state of emergency was declared on 28 November. First responders working tirelessly have been providing support and an outpouring of community-led efforts by volunteers. However, with the prevailing conditions, the human impact and death toll are expected to increase.

The lack of information, transparency, and coordination have left communities in the most vulnerable areas stranded with no help. Although dedicated disaster management systems have been in place in Sri Lanka since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, these systems turned out to be ill-prepared. Evacuation notices were issued, often only after roads were flooded, without adequate information on the infrastructure and support people require to move to shelters with confidence.

Official Government communications, including those from Disaster Management Centres and the Meteorology Department, are issued in Sinhala, even when addressing affected regions that were primarily Tamil-speaking. Default practices of institutional racism creeped in even at a time of dire need. The lack of a trained and equipped civilian disaster response cadre has meant dependence on the military at this time. Whilst recognising the efforts and humanitarian motives of all rescue efforts underway, we note for the future the need to move towards civilian systems.