SRILANKA, Dec. 4 — Sri Lanka’s worst natural disaster in the form of Cyclone ‘Ditwah’ plunged the country into chaos this week, with a death toll in excess of 450 persons, while displacing nearly half a million people as the Government directed all resources towards providing relief and minimising the impact of the disaster.
The cyclone wreaked havoc beginning last Thursday, its major impact lasting over the next few days. It brought the country to a virtual standstill with all twenty-five districts being affected, most of them affected by severe flooding and landslides, with its sudden and severe nature hampering rescue work.
Many observers are of the view that this was Sri Lanka’s worst natural disaster in terms of overall impact. The 1978 cyclone that battered the country had the East Coast and the Batticaloa town taking the brunt of it, with over 900 deaths being recorded. The rest of the country was relatively unscathed.
The 2004 December tsunami was by far the worst natural disaster in terms of lives lost, leading to over 35,000 deaths, but only the Eastern and South Western coast was affected. That disaster was also short-lived, allowing the prompt channelling of relief measures to half a million displaced people.
Cyclone Ditwah has already claimed at least 450 lives at the time of writing. A further 360 persons have been reported missing. Days after its full impact, the death toll continues to rise as more missing persons are located in the rubble from landslides, which have also crippled the country’s road network.
What has hindered relief efforts by Government agencies, the security forces and volunteers is the sheer widespread nature of the disaster. With all districts affected, some more than others, agencies are finding it challenging to cope with the demand for assistance from multiple locations countrywide.
In terms of deaths, at the time of writing, the Kandy district was the worst affected with 118 lives lost, followed by Nuwara Eliya (89 deaths), Badulla (83 deaths) and Kurunegala (53 deaths). Kandy also recorded 171 missing persons, followed by 73 missing in Nuwara Eliya and 48 missing in Kegalle.
Widespread Destruction
The number of displaced persons was highest in the Colombo (over 76,000), Puttalam (over 73,000) and Gampaha districts (over 51,000). The Chilaw Hospital in the Puttalam district was temporarily shut down as it was inundated with floodwater. Over 1,400 centres house these displaced persons.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake led the Government’s response to the disaster. He met with parliamentarians in Parliament last Thursday while the Budget debate was in progress to apprise them of the unfolding disaster and to request them to visit their constituencies to co-ordinate relief.
The President requested the MPs to convene their respective District Coordinating Committees and Regional Development Committees to identify current risks and potential disaster situations. Many parliamentarians from the worst affected areas presented their observations at this meeting.
President Dissanayake followed up this meeting with a meeting of the National Disaster Management Council on Thursday night at the Ministry of Defence. The meeting focused extensively on the steps to be taken in response to the cyclone. It was noted that funds allocated for relief were adequate.
At this meeting, special attention was directed to the potential situation along the Eastern coastline due to the impact of the cyclone. President Dissanayake also noted that delays in the flow of information, a recurring issue, often result in affected people not receiving compensation on time.
On Friday morning, President Dissanayake met with representatives of political parties represented in Parliament at the Defence Headquarters. He urged Government and opposition representatives to work together effectively to protect the lives of those affected and to provide them with the necessary relief.
At this meeting, President Dissanayake assured that there will be no financial constraints in carrying out rescue and relief work. He stated that Disaster Management District Committees have already been convened and funds have been released to District Secretaries to meet urgent requirements.
Government Response
No circular should hinder the utilisation of these finances, and in cases where obstacles arise, funds may be used with the concurrence of the District Coordinating Committee, the President assured. The President also revealed that Indian helicopter assistance had been sought to bolster the relief effort.
These meetings were followed by an address to the nation by President Dissanayake. Expressing his condolences to those who lost loved ones in the disaster, he assured that every effort is being made to minimise the impact of the calamity and that sufficient finances have been released for this purpose.
“Certain bureaucratic procedures initially obstructed relief distribution to the affected. We have now modified these procedures to ensure aid reaches all affected without distinction of location. Financial constraints have been eased. Divisional Secretaries can spend up to Rs. 50 million directly,” he said.
From previous budget allocations, approximately Rs. 30 billion is available for immediate expenses without Parliamentary approval. These funds have been designated specifically for relief purposes. District Secretaries have been instructed to provide estimates of required funds, the President said.
“Let us set aside all political differences for the sake of the country. Let us unite, regardless of our ethnicity, religion, party or colour. There is ample time for politics, but there is little time to face this disaster. After the country has been rebuilt, we can engage in politics separately,” the President said.
The President also made a fervent appeal for unity while the Government dealt with the crisis. “We believe that every dark cloud has a silver lining. We believe that these dark days will pass. Therefore, let us rise as one. Let us heal this tear-stained paradise. Let us build a radiant island,” he said.
Aid Efforts
Amidst reports that overseas donors were encountering difficulties in transferring financial assistance to Sri Lanka, the Government also publicised the account numbers of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka so transfers could be made in a transparent manner. This has evoked a significant response, reports said.
Sri Lanka has received assistance from countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, China, Australia and the United States. It was also reported that Indian authorities granted clearance for Pakistani aircraft carrying relief for the cyclone to fly over Indian airspace to reach Sri Lanka.
While the Government was grappling with these efforts, the conduct of some opposition political parties and politicians has caused concern. They accuse the Government of mismanaging the disaster, alleging that warnings regarding the cyclone given a few weeks ago were not taken seriously.
This is based on comments made by an official in a television programme. However, the Government has said it acted as soon as it was made aware of the impending disaster and that the comments by the official included many hypothetical scenarios. It condemned these politically motivated remarks.
A statement from former President Ranil Wickremesinghe reflected similar political motivation. “The President failed to declare a state of emergency as per powers vested with him under the Disaster Management Act. The President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet failed to act,” he said.
The United National Party leader claimed that this infringes on the fundamental rights of the people and ‘is actionable in the Supreme Court’. Wickremesinghe’s comments, at a time when the country is in crisis, are blatant political opportunism and are unbecoming of a former president, observers say.
Political Fallout
The Government has also noted that there has been a concerted social media campaign aimed at belittling the government’s efforts and criticising all efforts made by the government to remedy the crisis. Emergency regulations, now in force, specifically prohibit the spread of misinformation.
A similar situation was witnessed in Parliament too with the opposition demanding two days to debate the government’s handling of the crisis. In response, the government offered a shorter debate, noting the priority was for parliamentarians to support relief efforts. However, the opposition walked out.
A welcome change was noted in the Kotte area where the representatives of the ruling party and the Samagi Jana Balavegaya, Chathuranga Abeysinghe and Dr Harsha de Silva, were seen working together to provide relief. Sadly, this co-operation was lacking in many other areas.
The full impact of Cyclone Ditwah is yet to be assessed. It is crippling as it has impacted the entire country, making an area-focused relief effort impossible. It is also devastating because it has destroyed much infrastructure. Recovery from Cyclone Ditwah will be difficult, costly and will take time.
