Children across Sri Lanka face an escalating humanitarian crisis in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah which struck the island's east coast with force.
The powerful storm unleashed torrential rains and gale-force winds, triggering widespread flooding and catastrophic landslides that have displaced thousands of families, destroyed homes and cut off access to essential services.
Initial estimates suggest that over 275,000 children are among the 1.4 million people affected, although disrupted communications and blocked access routes imply the actual number may be even higher.
“UNICEF remains deeply concerned about the destruction the cyclone has caused to children and the vital services they depend on for their safety and well-being. We stand in solidarity with families who have suffered losses and displacement and extend our deepest condolences to those mourning loved ones,” said Emma Brigham, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka.
“Children urgently need help. It is a race against time to reach the most vulnerable families who direly require lifesaving services,” she added. “And while the cyclone may have passed, the consequences have not.”
The severe damage to homes and vital infrastructure, along with the disruption of essential services, has caused widespread displacement and increases the risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, unsafe living conditions and severe emotional distress among children.
The cyclone will only deepen the struggles of Sri Lanka’s most vulnerable communities, who are still reeling from successive shocks, including the 2022 economic crisis.
According to a World Bank 2025 report, poverty in Sri Lanka has more than doubled since 2019, rising from 11.3 per cent to 24.5 per cent.
For millions of families, life remains unaffordable, with basic needs increasingly out of reach.
UNICEF Sri Lanka is coordinating closely with the Government, national authorities and partners to assess the situation and has initiated life-saving support.
To respond to the urgent needs of children and families in the hardest-hit districts, UNICEF is further scaling up its efforts and appealing for additional funding to provide clean drinking water, essential nutrition supplies, psychosocial support and emergency education kits to displaced children and mothers who need them most.