WHO’s work in the acute phase of Cyclone Ditwah: Looking ahead to build resilience

When Cyclone Ditwah swept across Sri Lanka in late 2025, it left behind a trail of disruption that tested the resilience of communities and the national health system. In the hours and days that followed, the World Health Organization (WHO) stepped in to support the Ministry of Health with coordinated action, technical expertise and critical supplies that helped stabilize essential services during a time of crisis.

Caption: WHO Representative and team conducted field visits in flood affected districts to witness the damages to critical health infrastructure and impact on communities. In image -Director General of Health Services and WHO Representative at the Haemodialysis Unit of District General Hospital Chilaw. (Photo credits: WHO Nepal/ Tsering Gurung)

From the outset, WHO led the UN Health Cluster, bringing together more than 40 partner organizations alongside the Ministry of Health and civil society representatives. Through a series of regular weekly meetings, partners shared updates from affected districts, aligned their work and planned new interventions, ensuring that efforts were harmonized, efficient and responsive to the realities on the ground. 

Caption: WHO Representative and health emergency team visited the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) at the Disaster Preparedness and Response Division (DPRD), Ministry of Health to conduct discussions on WHO support with Additional Secretary Medical Services and Coordinator DPRD. (Photo credits – WHO Sri Lanka/ Anjalee De Silva)

One of WHO’s earliest actions was providing financial assistance upon the request of the Ministry of Health. On 2 December 2025, WHO allocated 175,000 USD to strengthen rapid response functions in the flood‑affected districts, helping sustain critical medical and public health rapid response services at a time when they were most needed. The organization also extended its technical support to protect the mental wellbeing of affected communities. In the Kandy District, WHO supported the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka to deliver post‑disaster mental health and psychosocial support training for 49 frontline workers. In Badulla, WHO worked with the Regional Director of Health Services and Mental Health teams to organize a Psychological First Aid programme for teachers, enabling nearly 360 educators to better assist students coping with the impact of the disaster. 

Caption: The Health Cluster meeting chaired by WHO Representative and co-chaired by Director General of Health Services and CSO Collective and is convened weekly to align response and priorities and serve as platform for information sharing. (Photo credit: WHO Sri Lanka/ Ruwan Bandara)

Recognizing the importance of safeguarding nutrition during emergencies, WHO collaborated with UNICEF and the Family Health Bureau to develop a practical guide for public health staff on the use of BP‑5 ready‑to‑use supplementary food to manage moderate acute malnutrition in young children. WHO also supported national authorities by sharing and presenting international guidance on preventing inappropriate donations of breast milk substitutes, ensuring that emergency nutrition support adhered to globally accepted standards. 

Caption: WHO Representative and team visited health facilities in Matale district and engaged with preventive and curative health workers to understand health system response and challenges. (Picture credit: WHO Sri Lanka/ Sameera Hewage)

At the same time, WHO helped maintain continuity in essential medical supplies and disease surveillance. A consignment of 9,200 vials of insulin and 200,000 syringes reached Sri Lanka on 31 December 2025, responding directly to the country’s urgent need for insulin. WHO also printed and handed over 20,000 awareness posters on leptospirosis in Sinhala and Tamil, supported the procurement of influenza surveillance swabs and initiated the delivery of dignity kits for women staying in Suraksha Centres. Each of these contributions helped enhance the country’s capacity to protect vulnerable populations and prevent the spread of infectious diseases in crowded, displacement‑affected settings. 

Caption: WHO Representative handed over the life saving Insulin consignment to Director General of Health Services on 01 January 2026 at the Ministry of Health. (Photo credit: WHO Sri Lanka/ Anjalee De Silva)

Effective communication during a crisis is just as vital as medical supply chains. To strengthen national risk communication, WHO SEARO and WHO Sri Lanka provided the Health Promotion Bureau with access to a social‑listening platform and conducted an orientation session on 17 December 2025. Weekly online monitoring continued in partnership with the Ministry of Health, enabling authorities to detect rumours, track public concerns and deliver accurate health messages through WHO’s social media channels. These efforts ensured that timely, trusted information reached communities when they needed it most. 

By January 2026, WHO’s financial support including direct procurement and programmatic activities totalled 300,000 USD. This included life‑saving supplies, operational support and capacity‑building interventions that formed the backbone of the acute response. 

Future Recovery Plans

Even as the acute phase of the emergency subsides, WHO’s support to Sri Lanka is transitioning into a comprehensive recovery agenda designed to strengthen the country’s health system for the months ahead. Funding from the South‑East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund has already been confirmed for a second tranche, with resources dedicated to maintaining and expanding critical services well into the year including reinforcing communicable disease surveillance and empowering community‑based interventions, particularly for vulnerable populations affected by the cyclone.

A key component of the recovery strategy is WHO’s role in co‑leading the Post‑Disaster Needs Assessment together with the Ministry of Health. This process will help quantify damages and losses across the health sector and define the investments needed to rebuild health systems that are more resilient to future climate‑related shocks. Plans are also underway to continue mental health and psychosocial support efforts through a second phase focused on Suraksha Centres in Kandy, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, expanding wellbeing support to children and families experiencing prolonged stress following the disaster.

To address longer‑term health needs, WHO is supporting the development of a preparedness and response plan for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in emergencies, along with a field implementation guide that will strengthen frontline readiness. Discussions are progressing on procuring additional NCD emergency modules, while efforts to advance an integrated information management system for the Disaster Preparedness and Response Division are moving forward to improve data flow and decision‑making in future emergencies. WHO is also working with partners to extend access to the social‑listening platform and to streamline social sentiments and rumour monitoring, ensuring that health communication remains timely, rooted in community insights and responsive to evolving risks.

As recovery gains momentum, the organization’s long‑term vision is not only to restore what was damaged, but to help the country strengthen systems, capacities and preparedness so that future hazards can be met with even greater confidence and coordination.