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Situation Overview
The impacts of Cyclone Ditwah continue to escalate, with emerging data indicating that it is one of Sri Lanka’s worst flood disasters in two decades. The cyclone made landfall in Sri Lanka on 28th November, before moving back over the Bay of Bengal.
A reported 212 are dead and 218 people missing, with 998,918 people (273,606 families) affected across all 25 districts. A total of 180,499 people from 51,228 families are sheltering in 1,094 government-run safety centres.
Population impacts remain heaviest in Gampaha, Colombo, Puttalam and Mannar, alongside Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Landslides and flash floods in several central hill country regions have caused extensive loss of life, particularly in Kandy, Badulla and Matale.
Initial assessments indicate that more than 15,000 homes have been destroyed across affected areas. Critical infrastructure has suffered major disruption with 206 roads rendered impassable, at least 10 bridges damaged, and sections of the rail network and power grid affected, including an inundated substation.
Flooding along the Kelani River, the main river running through Colombo, and surrounding low-lying areas continues to hamper access, disrupt information flow from affected communities, and complicate search, rescue and relief operations.