As SL welcomes 2026, Ditwah victims still in the lurch

• 24,000 still displaced after Ditwah   
• Victims await relief as New Year dawns  
• Aid delays leave victims in limbo 

By Sheain Fernandopulle

More than a month after the devastation unleashed by Cyclone Ditwah, more than 24,000 people remain displaced and are still living in tents in the hardest-hit areas of the country while the nation welcomed the New Year. While the rest of the country marked the New Year with celebrations, many affected families are forced to face daily hardships without permanent shelter.   

Although people and organizations stepped forward to help immediately after the calamity, several victims say that attention has since faded and their situation has largely been forgotten.   

Despite authorities pledging compensation for families who lost their homes, residents in some of the worst-hit areas, including Hatton, told Daily Mirror that government officers including Grama Niladhari officials, have yet to address their concerns or indicate when compensation will be provided.   

According to the Disaster Management Centre, a total of 24,431 people from 7,781 families are still staying in 264 centres.   

Sharing her experience, a resident from Hatton said she lost her entire home in a landslide and that her family of five is now living with relatives nearby in a house that can accommodate only three people.  

She said that although the Grama Niladhari officer visited the area, there was no discussion about compensation, and instead she was told that the land had been lost and the family would have to find housing on their own.   

Another resident said children are struggling to return to regular schooling due to the loss of textbooks and other educational materials.   

For many affected families, daily life remains difficult months after the disaster. Limited living space, lack of privacy and uncertainty about the future have become part of their routine, as families try to continue their lives in temporary shelters or overcrowded homes of relatives.   

Residents say the prolonged displacement has taken a toll on livelihoods and family life, with adults struggling to return to stable employment and children adapting to disrupted routines.   

As time passes, affected communities fear their situation may fade from public attention, even though their need for assistance and long-term solutions remains urgent.   

Meanwhile, informed sources told Daily Mirror that some donations received from various sources for distribution among affected people have allegedly been taken by certain government officers. These reportedly include sanitary pads.   

Speaking to Daily Mirror, a senior government official said that, as instructed by the President, steps are being taken to ensure donations received for disaster relief are distributed through proper mechanisms.   

The official said procedures have been put in place to monitor distribution and that efforts are ongoing to ensure assistance reaches those genuinely affected.