Sri Lankan history is being rewritten in real time as Cyclone Ditwah hit the island nation, causing floods and landslides that have resulted in the death of hundreds and caused over 200 thousand to be displaced. Ditwah is being called the strongest cyclone to hit the country in 30 years and is described as having hit with unparalleled force. The cyclone hit last week with rains and winds reaching 150mph.
The storm affected both the coastal and inland regions from the south to the north
The storm caused extensive flooding, and entire towns and villages were completely wiped off the map. The capital city of Colombo saw major devastation as many of the main roads became rivers. The flooding has caused many of the river’s banks to overflow and all of the cropland to be washed away.
Communities in the mountain areas were buried, and all access points were destroyed. This has been compounded by flooding from the drainage systems being overwhelmed, and all surrounding rivers overflowing.
300 lives were lost in the worst cyclone in 3 decades
Reports say that more than 300 people have lost their lives, with hundreds suffering injuries and thousands remaining unaccounted for. The incident prompted more than 200,000 people to evacuate their homes to seek assistance and safety from the government and nonprofit aid organizations. The provided aid shelters are often extremely crowded and are missing the most basic supplies. This is a recipe for an outbreak.
Hospitals are surpassing their maximum patient populations
Everybody is waiting for an overburdened health system to get the help of the United Nations and for them to issue an international call for help to get food, potable water, medical aid, and temporary housing.
The aftermath of the cyclone is an additional burden to the already critical humanitarian issues. Sri Lanka is already suffering from an overtaxed economy and is now suffering greatly as thousands of hectares of rice fields and tea fields have been lost. On the coast, fishing communities have lost their boats and all their fishing equipment, with their livelihoods also lost.
The Sri Lanka calamity is complex, and the immediate issues created by the cyclone are an additional burden on an already critical humanitarian situation. The economic collapse of Sri Lanka, which has been precarious already, will suffer greatly now that thousands of hectares of rice and tea fields have been lost.
Environmental experts are expressing concern about the future
There is a large focus on the most recent and deadliest of the Ditwah cyclones. Discussions about climate resilience have begun, with a focus that, as of now, remains centered on Cyclone Ditwah and the potential for disaster in the future. It is the most deadly cyclone to hit the region in 30 years.
As a result of the recent death toll in the country caused by the cyclone, the Sri Lankan government has announced a national emergency and has tipped military support for Search and Rescue operations and First Response Relief operations. Nationally, there have been some efforts made in logistics, but the level of complexity of logistical operations remains the primary reason there has been very little progress. Internationally, the support has already begun to flow in, most notably from the global aid organization and neighboring countries.
As the world rallies to bring aid to Sri Lanka, the world has to respond to climate change and extreme weather cycles. Sri Lanka is still mourning the loss of the ones that died as a direct result of the extreme weather systems. Things will progress to be much worse without immediate climate change action, and the natural disasters will be the new normal for the world. The value of a global climate for vulnerable global regions will be priceless.
