The confirmed death toll from Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka stands at 618, with authorities issuing urgent new landslide warnings across multiple districts. Persistent monsoon rains continue to saturate hillsides, raising the risk of further deadly slides in the central and northwestern regions.
## Cyclone Ditwah's Path of Destruction
Ditwah, the most severe cyclone to strike Sri Lanka this century, triggered record rainfall that caused widespread flooding and landslides starting late November 2025. The central tea-growing highlands suffered the heaviest losses, accounting for 464 of the fatalities.
Over 75,000 homes have been damaged and nearly 5,000 completely destroyed, displacing hundreds of thousands at the peak of the crisis. More than two million people—almost one in ten Sri Lankans—have been directly affected.
## Ongoing Landslide Risks Remain Critical
The National Disaster Management Centre has highlighted continuing danger in mountainous areas where soil remains unstable after weeks of heavy rain. Helicopters continue to airlift supplies to communities still cut off by earlier slides.
Government meteorologists warn that additional monsoon activity could trigger secondary disasters before conditions fully stabilize. Residents in high-risk zones have received evacuation advisories.
## Economic Damage Tests Fragile Recovery
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that although the economy had achieved significant recovery, it remains too fragile to absorb a shock of this magnitude alone. Reconstruction costs are provisionally estimated at up to $7 billion.
Commercial banks have been directed to restructure loans for affected families, while survivors can receive up to 10 million rupees to relocate and rebuild in safer areas. The International Monetary Fund is reviewing an additional $200 million support package.
## International Response Gains Momentum
India, the UAE, Pakistan, the United States, Russia, and Myanmar have all delivered personnel, supplies, and financial assistance. Indian teams rescued nearly 150 people in the hardest-hit zones before departing this week.
The United States provided emergency equipment through the World Food Programme, while UAE search-and-rescue units continue operations in Kandy district.
## Wider Asian Catastrophe Unfolds
Sri Lanka's crisis forms part of a broader extreme weather event across Southeast Asia linked to La Niña conditions and successive cyclones. Regional death toll exceeds 2,000, with Indonesia reporting over 867 fatalities and Thailand more than 263.
Deforestation and poor land management have amplified landslide severity in multiple countries, according to post-disaster assessments.
These consecutive disasters underscore how climate patterns are intensifying monsoon impacts and increasing vulnerability across the region. Stronger environmental protections and early-warning investments will prove essential to limit future losses.
