Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on November 29, 2025, granting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake sweeping powers to coordinate relief efforts as the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah surged to 132, with 176 people still missing and fears mounting that the final figure could exceed 150 amid ongoing landslides and flooding. The cyclone, which made landfall on November 27 after intensifying over the Bay of Bengal, has battered the island nation with torrential rains exceeding 300 mm in some areas, triggering the worst natural disaster since 2017 and affecting over 500,000 people nationwide, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC). The government issued an urgent appeal for international aid, with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya emphasizing the need for helicopters, boats, and medical supplies to reach stranded communities in the central, eastern, and northern provinces.

The storm's wrath has been particularly devastating in the hill country districts like Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, where landslides buried entire villages under mud and debris, claiming most of the lives reported so far. Over 15,000 homes have been completely destroyed, forcing 78,000 residents—many from vulnerable tea estate worker communities—into temporary state-run shelters, while another 200,000 are displaced but staying with relatives. About a third of the country remains without electricity and running water, exacerbating health risks in flood-prone areas where stagnant waters have begun breeding mosquitoes, raising fears of disease outbreaks like dengue, which already claimed dozens of lives earlier this year. Schools, offices, and non-essential services across the island were shuttered indefinitely, with the DMC warning of further heavy showers in the north as the cyclone's remnants linger.

Military and rescue operations, involving the army, navy, and air force, have been scaled up, with helicopters airlifting supplies to isolated hill tracts and boats navigating submerged roads in Colombo's suburbs like Wellampitiya and Malwana. Volunteers from mosques and temples, such as the Dalugala Thakiya Mosque, have stepped in to prepare hot meals for thousands, while international pledges pour in: India has dispatched two navy ships with relief materials, and the UN's World Food Programme is coordinating food drops. Prime Minister Modi's condolences highlighted New Delhi's readiness to provide more aid, underscoring the close ties strained by Sri Lanka's economic woes.

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The emergency declaration, the first since the 2022 economic crisis, empowers the government to requisition private resources and enforce curfews if needed, but critics worry it could mask deeper governance failures in disaster preparedness. DMC Director-General Sampath Kotuwegoda noted that flood levels may surpass those of 2016, when 71 died, and urged residents to avoid floodwaters contaminated by sewage. As the cyclone weakens while moving toward India's Tamil Nadu coast, Sri Lanka faces a long recovery, with economic losses projected in the billions from damaged infrastructure, crops, and tourism—key pillars of its fragile post-crisis rebound.

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