Another year dawns upon us…

• Each time a natural disaster occurred, people were there for one another. They were there to support others, irrespective of their social status or ethnic differences

If there are two lessons that 2025 taught us, that happens to be the uncertainty of life and survival of the fittest. These lessons, however, are not confined to last year but to many years, decades and centuries that have passed. Cyclone Ditwah that ravaged through several parts of the country made people realise these two lessons in a brutal manner. 

Prior to November, many victims that were buried under mud wouldn’t have expected to die as a result of extreme weather conditions. They may not have expected to be buried under their own house or be carried away by heavy currents from overflowing water bodies. 

On the other hand, those who survived while losing all belongings including property, vehicles may not have had such nightmares when building their dream home or purchasing their dream vehicle. Children who lost their books just days prior to their exams, toddlers and infants who lost their most loved toys, will feel the same kind of frustration. The trauma these survivors have to endure as a result of losing their children, spouses and loved ones is indescribable. 

But such is life.

Every human being has to juggle between these two lessons and/or experiences throughout their lifetimes. Humankind has been created to learn, endure, persevere and thrive even amidst the harshest of times. 

The cyclone also highlighted another key element that would drive this society on its much needed path to recovery. That is the unity among people. 

Sri Lanka can draw lessons from its own experiences of cyclones, tsunamis and other natural disasters that had occurred in this country. Each time a natural disaster occurred, people were there for one another. They were there to support others, irrespective of their social status or ethnic differences. This was evident in the post cyclone scenario, when community kitchens were organised in different parts of the country to ensure that affected victims were well fed and taken care of. It was not only about providing food but also about providing them with clothes, cleaning equipment, mattresses, pillows and other essentials to help affected people return to normalcy. 

Those from the south took bus loads of people to affected parts of the country, sometimes even risking their own lives, to help their own brothers and sisters. Some were cleaning roads and public places that were covered in mud following floods. People from Kuruvita took their backhoes to places like Aranayaka to rescue people affected by landslides. In some places, people did more work than what was expected by the authorities, thereby reducing the workload on government officials. 

Such is the beauty of unity, harmony and togetherness. Every individual adds value to the tightly-knit social fabric that often becomes visible at times of crisis. There may have been numerous attempts made to damage this social fabric, and it maybe torn from various corners due to the wounds of the past. But it still holds people together, like a safety net. It has this magical ability to allow people to forget their own differences and stand up for one another, especially at times of crisis. 

This beautiful country has surpassed many crises over the past few years and, added to that,  came the cyclone. Nobody expected a natural disaster of such high magnitude to strike this island nation. The cyclone had passed, but the impact would remain for perhaps many more years. 

This has now become a golden opportunity for policymakers to gather information, professionals and subject matter experts to start reworking on the new geography of the island; to start looking at disaster readiness and disaster-resilient infrastructure; to start rebuilding in its truest sense and ensure that no more lives would be lost during a natural disaster. It is also an opportunity for people to start obeying government laws and thinking anew.

While wishing all our readers a Happy New Year 2026, let’s hope that the country heals and recovers from this crisis soon..!

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