Cyclone Ditwah affects 1.5 million in Sri Lanka, Red Cross launches appeal

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued a stark warning on Friday about a severe and escalating humanitarian emergency in Sri Lanka. Cyclone Ditwah has unleashed unprecedented rainfall on the island nation, triggering widespread catastrophic flooding and landslides affecting more than 1.5 million people across all districts, resulting in significant loss of life and displacement.

Scale of Destruction and Mobilized Response

John Entwistle, the IFRC head of country cluster delegation for South Asia, addressed reporters online from Geneva, detailing the storm's impact. "More than 1.5 million people have been affected, with hundreds of lives lost and thousands displaced," he stated. In response, over 3,500 Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers were immediately deployed to conduct rescues and deliver essential aid, despite severely damaged infrastructure.

Emergency Funding and Regional Context

To expand its life-saving operations, the IFRC has launched an emergency appeal for 5 million Swiss francs (over $6.2 million), supplementing 1 million Swiss francs already allocated from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund. The assistance will focus on critical needs like clean water, sanitation, health services, psychosocial support, and cash aid for affected families. Entwistle also noted a parallel flood crisis in Indonesia, where 3.2 million people are affected.

Calls for Support and Long-Term Resilience

Describing "heartbreaking" scenes from a recent field visit, Entwistle highlighted families sheltering in schools after losing their homes, but also praised local solidarity. He called for urgent international funding, improved coordination to overcome access challenges, and long-term investment in climate resilience. "We cannot do this alone," he concluded, emphasizing the need for a collective global response to the growing frequency of such climate-related disasters.