Nation Rallies to Build Back Stronger After Cyclone Ditwah

The Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) Committee convened on March 11 as part of the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Presidential Task Force to coordinate the national response to the widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) at his office in Colombo and focused on shaping a comprehensive recovery plan for the affected regions.

The session reviewed the preliminary findings of the PDNA carried out following the severe weather event that struck Sri Lanka in late November 2025, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and widespread flooding across many districts.

Officials from the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and other relevant stakeholders presented key observations from the assessment. Conducted under a government-led framework with the support of international development partners, the PDNA evaluates damages, economic losses and recovery requirements across several sectors.

Preliminary analysis shows that the cyclone caused significant impacts across social, productive and infrastructure sectors, including housing, agriculture, health, education, transport, water supply and commerce. Districts such as Kandy, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya and Puttalam were identified among the most severely affected areas.

During the discussion, the committee reviewed sectoral findings and examined priority areas for recovery and reconstruction. Deputy Minister Jayasekara emphasised the importance of carefully validating the assessment results to ensure that recovery planning remains evidence-based and aligned with national disaster resilience strategies.

The PDNA process is expected to provide a comprehensive framework to guide medium- and long-term recovery while strengthening Sri Lanka’s capacity for disaster-resilient development. The final PDNA report on the impacts of Cyclone Ditwah is scheduled to be completed later this month following the validation process.