Sri Lanka on Wednesday declared 22 out of its 25 administrative districts as disaster zones following massive destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The announcement came as India expanded humanitarian support to the island nation under Operation Sagar Bandhu.
The country has been battling severe flooding, landslides and widespread damage to essential infrastructure, leaving several regions cut off and placing enormous pressure on local disaster response systems. As of Wednesday evening, at least 479 people have been confirmed dead and 350 are missing due to extreme weather conditions that began on November 16.
A special cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, approved supplementary expenditure estimates to accelerate recovery and relief work. Leader of the House and senior minister Bimal Rathnayake informed Parliament that the estimates would now be referred to the committee on public finance for further approval.
Earlier, the government issued an extraordinary gazette under the Registration of Deaths Act of 2010, formally declaring 22 districts as disaster zones. Officials said only three southern districts have been excluded from the notification. The decision was taken due to the high number of deaths and disappearances linked to damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
According to government data, more than 1.4 million people have been affected by floods and landslides, with over 233,000 people currently living in 1,441 relief centres. Preliminary assessments indicate total economic losses between six billion and seven billion United States dollars, which amounts to roughly three to five per cent of Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product. The estimate was shared by Prabath Chandrakirthi, Commissioner General of Essential Services.
India has continued to supply large-scale humanitarian assistance through coordinated air, sea and ground operations. The Indian High Commission in Colombo said rescue teams have evacuated vulnerable populations from remote and inaccessible areas, provided medical support, and delivered essential supplies.
In Puttalam, personnel from the National Disaster Response Force rescued families in distress, including expectant mothers and individuals requiring urgent medical care. They delivered food, water and medicines to nearly eight hundred people stranded in damaged neighbourhoods.
Helicopters from the Indian Air Force have air-dropped more than five and a half tonnes of relief material in central Sri Lanka. Pilots carried out difficult missions to extract survivors from areas where landing was impossible. Severely injured residents were transported to medical facilities, including Rivisanda, for emergency treatment.
Assistance flights also carried essential goods to hill regions such as Mandaram Nuwara while evacuating people in need of medical attention. In Kotmale, twenty-four people, including women and children, were rescued and flown to Colombo.
President Dissanayake expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that India’s rapid response under the Sagar Bandhu initiative has underscored the long-standing partnership between the two countries.
Despite the disaster, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry stated on Wednesday that visitors remain safe and that major tourist services continue without disruption. Tourism officials said access to major attractions remains open, a significant reassurance during the peak travel season from December to February.