COLOMBO: Nearly 300,000 children are among the 1.4 million affected by Cyclone Ditwah, UNICEF here said today.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country’s disaster-response capacity.
As of Monday, 390 people have been killed, with 352 missing, in catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
“Cyclone Ditwah has left children across Sri Lanka facing an escalating humanitarian crisis. After making landfall on the East Coast early on November 28, the storm caused widespread floods and devastating landslides,” a release from UNICEF said.
“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,” the release said.