Cyclone Ditwah made landfall between 26 – 28 November, triggering unprecedented rainfall, catastrophic floods and landslides across Sri Lanka. This is the deadliest weather event recorded in the country’s recent history. The disaster has affected over 1.4 million people, claimed at least 450 lives with hundreds still reported missing. Nearly 230,000 have been displaced and are now seeking shelter in state-run welfare centers across the country. As rescue operations continue and many devastated areas remain inaccessible, Sri Lanka is yet to assess the full extent of cyclone’s impact. 

Rivers and reservoirs have overflown, inundating many towns and villages and burying entire neighbourhoods under mud, forcing thousands to evacuate. Landslides and flash floods have caused significant damage to 30,000 homes, fields and critical infrastructure – bridges, roads and rail ways -, disrupting the supply chain of food and compromising access to essential services across the country.  

Good Shepherd Mission in Sri Lanka spans across the country with communities located in some of the hardest-hit districts, including Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee. The sisters and partners are responding quickly to the urgent needs of flooding-affected communities, bringing as much life-saving and life-sustaining relief as possible. The immediate priority is to ensure families stay safe and have access to food, shelter, clean drinking water, medicines, and other essential supplies. 

Emergency relief support has started to reach 1,000 families, in flood affected areas around the Nayakakanda Convent where some communities remain submerged under up to two meters of water. The situation is worsening by day,and it is critical to extend support to other flood affected areas close to the Good Shepherd convents. We hope to assist at least 2,000 families over the next few weeks, including, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.  

Our prayers and thoughts are with all the people of Sri Lanka affected by this disaster. We remain in constant contact with sisters and partners on the ground, who zealously continue to provide immediate emergency assistance and assess evolving needs.  

We will share updates in the coming days and weeks as the sisters and partners work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of those affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

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