WE ARE A RESILIENT ISLAND WE WILL RISE AGAIN

Sri Lanka is grieving. In the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, as floodwaters begin to withdraw and the earth settles after devastating landslides, the scale of loss is becoming painfully clear. Homes have vanished under water. Hillsides have collapsed.

- Rishini Weeraratne

Thousands have been displaced. And far too many lives have been lost, including that of a courageous Air Force pilot who died in a helicopter crash during a rescue mission. His final act was to save others. His sacrifice will remain a symbol of bravery for generations.

Across the island, sorrow is deep. Yet even as we mourn, something equally powerful emerges. The unmistakable strength of the Sri Lankan spirit. A spirit that has carried us through decades of adversity and continues to carry us now.

We are, and always have been, a resilient island. A nation of generous hearts, warm smiles and boundless compassion.

The devastation left behind by Cyclone Ditwah has been immense. Floods swallowed neighbourhoods in minutes.

Landslides tore through the hill country with a force that stunned communities who had lived there for decades. Families who woke up expecting an ordinary day are now confronting the unimaginable loss of homes, belongings and loved ones.

Everywhere one looks, there are scenes of heartbreak, struggle and uncertainty.

But there are also scenes of extraordinary humanity.

Villagers pulling strangers to safety through chest-deep water. Neighbours sharing rice packets and dry clothes when they barely had enough for themselves. Volunteers transported medicine by boat when the roads had vanished beneath the floodwaters.

Fishermen taking their boats inland to rescue the stranded.