Attachments
Highlights
- Over seven weeks after Cyclone Ditwah made landfall, displacement is declining but humanitarian needs persist, including sustained WASH services, improved access to SAM treatment, continuity of learning for affected children, and protection measures to prevent family separation and expand psychosocial support.
- UNICEF continued to provide life-saving assistance across sectors. 49,600 people benefited from WASH services and supplies, 98,050 children received education support, nutrition interventions reached 12,102 people, and child protection supported 42,624 individuals through case management, family reunification, and psychosocial services.
- UNICEF ordered US$945,000 in emergency supplies, with additional supplies over US$1 million procured shortly.
- UNICEF requires US$7.8 million to provide immediate, life-saving support to children and families affected by Cyclone Ditwah. As of 12 February, US$5.9 million has been received and US$0.3 million pledged, leaving a funding gap of US$1.6 million.
Situation in Numbers
1.2 million People in Need
526,609 Children in Need
1,6823 Schools impacted
576,936 UNICEF people targeted
340,450 UNICEF children target
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on the East coast of Sri Lanka on 28 November 2025, causing widespread floods and deadly landslides across the nation. Some 650 people are reported to have died, while 173 people remain missing.4 According to the Humanitarian Priorities Plans (HPP), over 2.2 million people were affected and an estimated 1.2 million people are in need of assistance, including almost 527,000 children.
Displacement peaked at 308,000 people,5 with over 161,600 people who remain displaced as of 10 February, 96 per cent of them in host families or rented accommodation (155,255 people in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Badulla and Kegalle) and 4 per cent in safety centres (6,413 people in 81 safety centers). 6 Many cannot return home due to severe housing damage, ongoing landslide risks, and relocation needs for families in high-risk zones. Economic vulnerability further delays recovery for thousands of households.
The Government of Sri Lanka, with support from the UN, EU, World Bank, ADB and partners, led a Post‑Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) to quantify damages, losses and recovery needs following Cyclone Ditwah. Early findings7 confirm extensive impacts on social sectors essential for children: large‑scale housing destruction, major disruption to education, health and WASH services, and significant losses across agriculture and livelihoods, heightening risks for vulnerable households. Protection concerns—including increased GBV risks and psychosocial distress in overcrowded shelters— were consistently highlighted across assessment findings. UNICEF is actively engaged in the assessment, leading the Education and WASH chapters and contributing technical inputs to Nutrition and Protection, ensuring that children’s needs and essential services are fully reflected in recovery planning. While early recovery planning is underway, significant humanitarian needs persist.