Health system under pressure and food insecurity threatens
According to to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA998,918 people across the 25 districts have now been affected, with 212 deaths reported and 218 people missing. More than 180,000 people from more than 51,000 families have sheltered in 1,094 government-run security centers as search and rescue efforts continue.
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on November 28 before returning to the Bay of Bengal, triggering some of the worst floods Sri Lanka has seen since the early 2000s.
The hardest hit districts are Gampaha, Colombo, Puttalam and Mannar, as well as Trincomalee and Batticaloa, while deadly landslides in the central hills devastated Kandy, Badulla and Matale.
Initial assessments indicate that more than 15,000 homes have been destroyed. More than 200 roads remain impassable, at least 10 bridges have been damaged and sections of the rail network and the national power grid have been affected.
Flooding along the Kelani River, which flows through Colombo and surrounding low-lying areas, continues to hamper access and disrupt the flow of information from affected communities, complicating rescue and relief operations.
Severe disruptions to electricity, mobile phone, communications and transport networks are being reported in northern districts, such as Jaffna, with entire villages isolated..
Access to drinking water also remains a major concern, with several areas reporting low or no supplies.
Sri Lanka's already fragile health system is under severe pressureOCHA said. Several district hospitals remain flooded and receiving only limited supplies, with critically ill patients airlifted to functioning facilities.
The response is further hampered by recurrent landslides and the failure of several embankments (embankments or barriers), notably at Mavilaaru, increasing the risks in Trincomalee and Batticaloa.
Authorities have also warned of growing food insecurity, as submerged farmland, damaged storage facilities and cut supply routes threaten shortages and price hikes in the coming weeks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that flooding significantly increases the risk of vector-borne, food-borne and water-borne diseasesurging communities to prevent mosquito bites, ensure food safety and use clean water wherever possible.
The United Nations in Sri Lanka on Sunday activated its emergency coordination system to step up a unified response with government agencies and humanitarian organizations.
Sectoral coordination has been established in the areas of food security, health, water and sanitation (WASH), education, protection, shelter and early recovery, while a multi-sectoral needs assessment is underway with disaster management authorities to identify the most pressing gaps.
"The UN in Sri Lanka is mobilizing its teams across the system to support national rescue and early recovery efforts, in coordination with the authorities. We stand in solidarity with all affected communities," said Marc-André Franche, United Nations Resident Coordinator.
Despite access difficulties, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) delivered drinking water to 25 security centers in Badulla, in the central hills, cut off from the rest of the country due to flooding and damage to infrastructure.
To support government-led efforts, India and Pakistan have deployed emergency teams to work alongside the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in the worst-affected districts.
Severe monsoon floods continue in Thailand and Malaysiaaffecting more than two million people in southern Thailand alone and displacing nearly 25,000 people in Malaysia, according to at OCHA. People have been evacuated in several hard-hit Thai provinces, while rainfall is expected to ease in the coming days.
In Indonesiamedia reports report at least 440 deaths from floods and landslides, and more than 400 people missing, particularly in parts of Sumatra, where thousands remain stranded without access to food and water.