January 15, Colombo (LNW): A newly released United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) review has painted a stark picture of the damage left by Cyclone Ditwah, showing that almost every community in the worst-hit parts of Sri Lanka has suffered harm to homes, roads and essential services, with rebuilding needs stretching far beyond immediate relief.
The assessment, published on Wednesday, drew on interviews with more than 500 local administrators, entrepreneurs and community leaders across 85 divisional secretariat areas in 22 severely affected districts. An overwhelming majority of those consulted said their localities had sustained damage to housing, transport networks, industrial facilities or shared community assets, with destroyed homes and broken roads emerging as the most common problems.
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on November 26, 2025 and is regarded as the most lethal disaster to strike the country since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Earlier satellite-based analysis by UNDP suggested that floodwaters spread across nearly a fifth of Sri Lanka’s landmass, placing around 2.3 million people at risk.
The latest findings suggest that the effects on daily life and local economies are both deep and enduring, with many communities struggling to find the money, materials and skilled labour needed to rebuild.
UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative Azusa Kubota welcomed the Government’s pledge of LKR 95 billion in assistance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, including a concessional loan scheme. She stressed, however, that special attention must be paid to informal businesses, many of which fall outside official systems but remain vital to local economies and employment.
The assessment indicates that economic disruption has been widespread, with nearly all respondents reporting damage to livelihoods. Losses in agriculture, livestock farming, wage employment and small-scale businesses were frequently cited, particularly within the informal sector, which supports a large proportion of the workforce. Access to affordable credit, capital for rebuilding premises and restocking, and direct support for micro enterprises were identified as urgent priorities.
Vulnerable groups have been hit especially hard. More than half of those interviewed said older people, persons with disabilities and households headed by women were among those most affected. While government assistance has been the main coping mechanism, many families have also relied on aid agencies or informal borrowing, raising concerns about mounting household debt and its potential to slow longer-term recovery.
Practical barriers to reconstruction were also highlighted, including shortages of building materials, a lack of skilled workers and limited funding. Respondents pointed to slow approval processes and weak coordination between institutions as further factors delaying progress.
Beyond physical damage, the cyclone has created environmental and health risks, with reports of polluted water sources, soil erosion and harm to natural ecosystems, suggesting that the disaster may have lasting consequences for public health and climate resilience.
UNDP noted that Sri Lanka, like much of South Asia, is becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather linked to climate change. The organisation said the findings underline the need for sustained investment to restore livelihoods and infrastructure, particularly for informal workers and small businesses, while embedding stronger disaster and climate resilience as the country moves from emergency response towards long-term recovery and reconstruction.
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