Courtesy Hiru News

The United Nations Development Programme termed Cyclone Ditwah one of the worst flooding disasters in decades after new geospatial analysis revealed floodwaters submerged 20% of Sri Lanka’s landmass, more than 1.1 million hectares.

The report confirms that 2.3 million people reside in the inundated zones, with women accounting for more than half of the exposed population.

Data indicates that 60% of those exposed live in the densely populated Colombo and Gampaha districts, placing immense pressure on essential services.

The situation remains critical because over half the affected households already faced instability, high debt, and poverty before the storm struck on November 28.

UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota warned that Sri Lanka cannot shoulder more debt to cover reconstruction costs following its recent economic crisis.

She urged international partners to provide affordable financing to prevent the nation from falling off a “debt cliff” while trying to rebuild.

The physical toll includes nearly 720,000 buildings—one in every twelve across the island—now sitting in flood zones.

Infrastructure damage remains extensive, with 16,000 kilometres of roads and nearly 500 bridges affected, while the central highlands suffered around 1,200 landslides, which isolated remote communities.

Concerns for food security are mounting after waters covered 530,000 hectares of rice paddy.

Devanand Ramiah from the UNDP Crisis Bureau noted how fast these compounding crises unfold, emphasising that recovery will prove slow and costly where high flooding overlaps with existing economic fragility.

The UN and national authorities are calling for scaled-up early recovery support to restore transport links and assist the most vulnerable demographics, including the elderly and children.