Over 275,000 children affected in Sri Lanka - UNICEF

Over 275,000 children are among the 1.4 million people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, which made landfall on the East Coast early on 28 November, UNICEF said yesterday.

It said that the storm caused widespread flooding and devastating landslides, with disrupted communications and blocked access routes suggesting that the actual number of affected children may be even higher.  

Authorities and aid agencies are urgently working to provide relief to families, with a particular focus on vulnerable children in the hardest-hit areas.  

“UNICEF remains deeply concerned about the destruction the cyclone has caused to children and the vital services they depend on for their safety and well-being. We stand in solidarity with families who have suffered losses and displacement and extend our deepest condolences to those mourning loved ones,” said Emma Brigham, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka.  

“Children urgently need help. It is a race against time to reach the most vulnerable families who direly require lifesaving services,” she added. “And while the cyclone may have passed, the consequences have not.”