UNICEF has confirmed 275,000 children are among 1.4 million people affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, with infrastructure damage and flooding creating urgent humanitarian needs as of December 2025. The storm's aftermath has displaced thousands into temporary shelters, heightening risks of disease outbreaks and malnutrition among youth.
"This is a race against time to protect children from cascading secondary crises," said Emma Brigham, UNICEF's Sri Lanka representative. The organization is scaling up clean water distribution, emergency education kits, and psychosocial support while coordinating with local authorities.
The disaster compounds existing challenges highlighted in a 2025 World Bank report showing Sri Lanka's poverty rate more than doubling since 2019. Over 400 deaths have been reported from cyclone-related landslides and floods, with vulnerable communities facing critical shortages of essential supplies.
UNICEF's emergency response prioritizes restoring child vaccination programs and nutritional support systems disrupted by the storm. International aid organizations are mobilizing to address what experts call one of Sri Lanka's worst climate-related disasters this decade.
