UNICEF Alarmed as Sri Lanka Cyclone Ditwah Affects 275,000 Children
The UN agency expressed alarm over the cyclone's catastrophic impact on young survivors and the critical infrastructure supporting their welfare.
Emma Brigham, UNICEF representative in Sri Lanka, emphasized the urgency of the situation, describing efforts to assist the most at-risk families as a time-sensitive emergency.
Extensive destruction of infrastructure and essential services has displaced thousands into makeshift shelters, according to UNICEF, which warned that children now face heightened threats including disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and profound psychological trauma.
The crisis strikes a nation already reeling from economic collapse. A 2025 World Bank report documented that poverty rates in Sri Lanka have surged dramatically since 2019, climbing from 11.3 percent to 24.5 percent—more than doubling in just six years.
UNICEF confirmed it is collaborating with government authorities and humanitarian partners to evaluate urgent requirements and mobilize emergency aid. The organization is expanding its response operations and requesting additional financial resources to distribute clean water, nutritional supplements, mental health services, and emergency educational materials for displaced mothers and children.
The cyclone's secondary effects—landslides and catastrophic flooding—have claimed over 400 Sri Lankan lives.
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