The death toll of Cyclone Ditwah is 193 and counting. Hundreds more have gone missing. Tens of thousands have been rendered homeless. People have lost their lives. Thousands mourn the loss of friends and families. And an entire population grieves and wonders when and how livelihoods will be restored, the displaced provided alternative housing. They wonder how long food, medical, power and communications infrastructure will remain disrupted. This is not the first tragedy that has struck Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has known floods, droughts, landslides although none of it in the scales unleashed by Cyclone Ditwah. Sri Lanka was hit hard by the tsunami of 2004. This time it is a freshwater tsunami engulfing the entire country. What is unique about this disaster is that not a single district has been spared. Sri Lanka has lived through a devastating war that lasted 30 years. Through it all, as a nation, Sri Lanka survived and this is mostly thanks to a remarkable determination to come together to help one another. Volunteerism is truly extraordinary. Generosity and solidarity have seen us through many terrible times.
Wijerama Community Kitchen
This is clearly evident even today. Ordinary citizens, as individuals or in groups, have stepped forward to do their utmost and ensure that no one goes hungry, no one suffers without water and indeed no one is left without shelter. They work together and in conjunction with relevant state institutions and officials. They are tireless. They epitomise the resilience of the island nation.
Nevertheless, the tragedy is of such monumental proportions that it is clear that their efforts alone will not bring back normalcy. We simply cannot do it alone. Sri Lanka is a small island nation and one that has been struggling to get its economy back on track after an unprecedented collapse a few years ago. However, despite Sri Lanka's own trials and tribulations, Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans have always done their best to help friendly nations whenever they were in distress. Today, we are in desperate need of empathy, kindness and support. The victims have suffered unimaginably. We cannot abandon them. We strongly believe that the international community will not forsake us in this, the hour of our greatest tragedy in recent times. There are, or will be shortages of food, medicine, shelter and essential supplies. Sanitation and fresh water supplies will need to be restored. Communication lines will need to be urgently repaired and upgraded.
Looking a little further into the future, it is inescapable that more permanent repairs related to this disaster including restoration of infrastructure, relocating people and rebuilding lives offers a challenge that is formidable and will obviously come at a high cost, one that Sri Lanka will struggle to bear as we are just climbing out of another economic crisis. I call upon our donors and international partners to extend their patience and compassion in the weeks and months to come. The government will need the support and fiscal headroom to look after its people and rebuild their infrastructure even as we continue to honor our obligations. You can help and we sincerely hope you will. As for my fellow Sri Lankans, especially elected representatives of all parties, past and present, be there with your people. We are blessed to have a president of impeccable integrity who is leading the recovery and has the humility to accept your help with gratitude. Do whatever you can for your friends near and far. Support the Divisional Secretaries and others are doing their utmost to provide relief. In short, do what you can to help galvanize and coordinate aid to those who need it the most. Sri Lanka has been through a lot, but we have always prevailed when history wrote us off. No war, no tsunami, no default, no flood or no terror attack or coup has ever or will ever change that.
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray
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