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.
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