After floods devastated their village, Indrani Ravichandran and her family are back in their house, living in the only section that is still standing. They are among the many victims of Cyclone Ditwah that ravaged the country last November.
The scale of the storm - and the destruction it wreaked - was unprecedented. Over just three days, parts of Sri Lanka's central uplands saw up to 500mm of rain - roughly the average of two months - causing catastrophic floods and landslides that swept away homes, businesses, and entire settlements. The human cost was devastating – 643 people were killed and another 173 went missing.
Indrani describes how she and her family ran for their lives in the dark as raging floodwaters swept away parts of her home in Kudugalhena village in Kandy district. The water level rose swiftly. We rushed out and hardly had any time to pick up anything from the house. It was pitch dark and the rain was lashing down. We were also terrified of treading on any poisonous animals as we ran. But we were lucky to survive, she said.
The floods reportedly caused even more destruction in Sri Lanka than the 2004 tsunami, although the loss of human life was not as great. Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, a visiting senior fellow at ODI Global Institute in London, noted that in terms of damage to infrastructure, Ditwah caused even more harm than the tsunami.
'A triple shock'
The ongoing war involving the US and Israel against Iran has exacerbated Sri Lanka's already dire situation. The picturesque island nation, once celebrated for its economic development, is grappling with a perfect storm of crises: devastating floods, soaring fuel prices, and an impending drought impacting certain areas.
The Sri Lankan government has had to ration fuel and raise prices, introduce a four-day working week, and increase electricity costs by up to 40%. Fuel and cooking gas shortages have led to panic buying across the country, raising memories from 2022 when the nation ran out of foreign currency and defaulted on its debt, leading to shortages of essential items.
Now, concerns are mounting that the country may face another economic crisis. The cash-strapped government had implemented various measures to stabilize the economy after previous setbacks, but the recent cyclone has posed significant setbacks.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has labeled the cyclone as the nation's worst-ever economic disaster, announcing assistance plans for those affected. However, the pace of recovery remains slow, with over 165,000 people displaced and still awaiting housing solutions and support.
'Friend across the sea'
International responses have been muted compared to the outpouring of aid following the 2004 tsunami. India's immediate response, dubbed Operation Sagar Bandhu, included deploying warships for humanitarian assistance, rescuing people, and providing significant financial aid. Meanwhile, responses from other nations, including China, have been noticeably lackluster.
As the Sri Lankan government confronts the enormous task of reconstruction amid rising economic pressures, the leadership of President Dissanayake will be scrutinized as the country struggles to recover from these compounded disasters.
