Sri Lanka has made an appeal for international assistance as the death toll from heavy rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 132, with another 176 reported missing.
The government issued an appeal for international help and asked Sri Lankans abroad to make cash donations to support nearly half a million affected people.
Officials disclosed that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya had met with Colombo-based diplomats to update them on the situation and seek the help of their governments.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) revealed that the extreme weather system has destroyed nearly 15,000 homes across the country, sending almost 44,000 people to state-run temporary shelters.
Although Cyclone Ditwah was heading towards neighbouring India to the north today, Saturday, November 29, 2025, more landslides have hit the central district of Kandy, 115km (70 miles) east of the capital Colombo, with the main access road under water at several locations.
DMC Director-General Sampath Kotuwegoda said that relief operations had been strengthened with the deployment of thousands of members of the army, navy and air force as he announced the latest casualty figures. “Relief operations with the help of the armed forces are under way,” Kotuwegoda told reporters in Colombo.
Mahesh Gunasekara, the Secretary-General of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, said many people have been stranded in various flood-hit areas as rescue crews are trying to reach them.
“Relief needs have been increasing. After two days, water has still been swelling. Although the cyclone is slowly moving away from the country, it is not over for us yet.”
Mahesh Gunasekara
Flooding prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders for those living along the banks of the Kelani River, which flows into the Indian Ocean from Colombo. The Kelani burst its banks on Friday evening, forcing hundreds of people into temporary shelters, the DMC said.
While rain had eased in most parts of Sri Lanka on Saturday, including the capital, parts of the island’s north were still experiencing showers due to the residual effects of Cyclone Ditwah.
DMC officials said they expected flood levels to exceed those recorded in 2016, when 71 people were killed nationwide.
This week’s weather-related toll is the highest since June last year, when 26 people were killed following heavy rains.In December, 17 people died in flooding and landslides.
India First To Send Aid To Sri Lanka
India was the first to respond, sending two planeloads of relief supplies, while an Indian warship already in Colombo on a previously planned goodwill visit donated its rations to help victims.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the deaths in Sri Lanka and said New Delhi was ready to send more aid.
“My heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Ditwah. I pray for the safety, comfort and swift recovery of all affected families.
“In solidarity with our closest maritime neighbour, India has urgently dispatched relief materials and vital humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support under “Operation Sagar Bandhu.”
Narendra Modi
He added that guided by India’s Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, India continues to stand firmly with Sri Lanka in its hour of need.
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