Cyclone Ditwah: A national tragedy and test of Sri Lanka's resolve

CYCLONE Ditwah struck Sri Lanka on 27 November with a ferocity that quickly overwhelmed communities, infrastructure and emergency services. Official reports in the days that followed documented widespread flooding, catastrophic landslides and the collapse of critical services, leaving hundreds dead, many more missing and millions displaced. The precise toll is still being assessed as rescue and recovery operations continue, but there is no question that the scale of the disaster places it among the most severe to hit Sri Lanka in recent memory.

- BY CHARUMINI DE SILVA

Rescue personnel evacuate marooned people due to the Cyclone Ditwah in Mulleriyawa in Colombo district

This catastrophe is not simply about extreme weather. It is a story of human behaviour, institutional preparedness, urban planning failures, private-sector decisions, the contours of regional solidarity and resilience. How Sri Lanka responds in the weeks and months ahead will determine whether this disaster hardens into persistent suffering or catalyses meaningful reform and reconstruction.

Meteorological bulletins issued before and during Ditwah warned of rains and winds. The entire island was marked "red" on 27 November, but it failed to emphasise heavy rainfalls and severe winds. It only began gaining traction in the afternoon. As floodwaters surged and landslides struck, rescue teams from the tri-forces, Police and civilian volunteers mounted relief operations across the island. Yet the numbers that appeared in the early reports varied with alarming frequency. Depending on the source and the moment of reporting, casualty counts and displacement figures shifted, reflecting the difficulty of assessing live crises under conditions of damaged communications and blocked roads.

The fog of real-time reporting is not an excuse for complacency; it is instead a reminder of why robust, redundant disaster communications and rapid, well-coordinated field operations are indispensable. When official lines go down and first responders cannot reach communities, the first rescues are often performed by neighbours and villagers, the most immediate and courageous lifeline in any disaster.