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UN PhotoUNICEF / SRI LANKA CYCLONE
STORY: UNICEF / SRI LANKA CYCLONE
TRT: 3:21
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNICEF ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: SINHALA / ENGLISH
DATELINE: 30 NOVEMBER 2025 AND 01 DECEMBER 2025, GAMPAHA, ATTANUGALU OYA. SRI LANKA, AND UTHUWANKANDA, AMBALA KANDA, ARANAYAKE, KELANIYA, SRI LANKA
1. Med shot, 30 November 2025, District General Hospital Gampaha front entrance with the hospital name board partially submerged and the entire area visibly affected by heavy flooding.
2. Wide shot, floodwater in an urban area of Gampaha
3. Med shot, a resident walking through chest-level floodwater in an urban area of Gampaha, moving slowly through the strong current.
4. Wide shot, District General Hospital Gampaha front entrance
5. Med shot, District General Hospital Gampaha OPD and ground floor fully filled with floodwater, showing severe damage to the facility
6. Med shot, hospital beds and wheelchairs soaked, displaced, and damaged by floodwater inside the hospital
7. Med shot, a child walking alone through floodwater, struggling through the rising water level
8. Wide shot, Attanagalu Oya, flooding through the city, carrying debris and belongings swept away from nearby homes
9. Wide shot, motorbikes and small vehicles speeding through flooded urban roads as water levels continue to grow
10. Wide shot, public transport buses helping stranded citizens, transporting workers, families, and residents to safe areas despite the difficult conditions
11. Med shot, entire area submerged, with floodwater rising high enough that roads and land boundaries cannot be identified
01 DECEMBER 2025, UTHUWANKANDA AREA, KEGALLE, SRI LANKA
12. Drone shot, the mountain village known for its natural beauty and folklore — now severely damaged by a major landslide caused by Cyclone Ditvah. Nearby roads are partly destroyed, disrupting transport on the Colombo–Kandy main route
13. Drone shot, flooded areas caused by the Kelani River in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Villages including houses, buildings, and temples are submerged; roads are blocked; rescue boats are helping residents reach safer locations
14. Drone shot, flooded areas caused by the Kelani River in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Villages including houses, buildings, and temples are submerged; roads are blocked; rescue boats are helping residents reach safer locations
15. Drone shot, flooded areas caused by the Kelani River in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Villages including houses, buildings, and temples are submerged; roads are blocked; rescue boats are helping residents reach safer locations
16. Various shots, flooded areas caused by the Kelani River in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
17. Various shots, houses completely submerged under floodwater
Cyclone Ditwah has left children across Sri Lanka facing an escalating humanitarian crisis. After making landfall on the East Coast early on 28 November, the storm caused widespread floods and devastating landslides. Initial estimates suggest that over 275,000 children are among the 1.4 million people affected, although disrupted communications and blocked access routes imply the actual number may be even higher.
“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.
UNICEF Sri Lanka is coordinating closely with the Government, national authorities, and partners to assess the situation and has initiated life-saving support. To respond to the urgent needs of children and families in the hardest-hit districts, UNICEF is further scaling up its efforts and appealing for additional funding to provide clean drinking water, essential nutrition supplies, psychosocial support, and emergency education kits to displaced children and mothers who need them most.
