COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Dec. 7 — Sri Lanka’s death toll from Cyclone Ditwah climbed to 627 on Sunday as heavy rains continued to batter regions already devastated by floods and landslides, officials said.
“The hillsides are increasingly unstable,” the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) warned, particularly in the central highlands and northwestern midlands. The ongoing monsoon has worsened conditions for more than two million people, nearly 10% of the country’s population, who were affected by last week’s climate crisis-driven disasters.
Rescue operations have intensified in cut-off areas. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are delivering food, water, and medical supplies to remote communities. The Sri Lanka Air Force said Myanmar had sent a planeload of relief materials, marking the latest international support.
Of the confirmed deaths, 464 were in the central tea-growing belt. Another 209 people remain missing, according to DMC figures. Floodwaters have begun receding, and the number of residents in state-run camps has dropped to 100,000 from a peak of 225,000.
Damage assessments indicate more than 75,000 homes have been affected, with nearly 5,000 destroyed. Officials estimate recovery and reconstruction costs could reach USD 7 billion. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament Friday that while the economy had shown improvement, it was not strong enough to withstand the latest disaster without support.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it was reviewing Sri Lanka’s request for an additional USD 200 million to aid rebuilding efforts.
