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Sri Lanka’s telecommunications sector is undertaking one of its largest emergency restoration operations in years after Cyclone Ditwah ripped through the country, severing fibre backbones, disabling thousands of towers, and exposing structural vulnerabilities in the national connectivity grid.

Minister of Digital Infrastructure Eranga Weeraratne noted that the country’s fibre backbone had been cut in 11 locations, causing cascading failures across the network.

 By Sunday evening, repair teams had restored most routes, leaving only two critical fibre lines still down, including the major link to Nuwara Eliya.

The fibre architecture, which channels all national traffic to Colombo before redistribution, collapsed in key segments, disrupting mobile broadband, enterprise lines, and emergency communications across multiple provinces.

The biggest blow came from the mobile-tower network. Out of Sri Lanka’s 16,000 communication towers, 4,000 went offline at the height of the crisis not due to structural collapse, but primarily because of power outages and fuel shortages for generators.

The minister said he could not yet confirm whether any towers were physically destroyed by the cyclone. Since then, operators have managed to restore approximately 2,500 towers, leaving around 1,500 still inactive or operating on temporary backup solutions.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) convened emergency sessions with Dialog Axiata, SLT-Mobitel, and Hutch, directing them to synchronise generator deployment, battery rotation, and field team mobilisation with the Ceylon Electricity Board.

With power failures proving the dominant cause of tower shutdowns, restoration teams have focused heavily on stabilising electricity supply, relocating fuel stocks, and installing temporary power systems in districts such as Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, and Ratnapura.

International partners have also become crucial to the national recovery effort. Huawei Technologies Lanka activated its Business Continuity Management mechanism, deploying more than 80 engineers to assist operators with fibre repairs, transmission module replacement, and on-site diagnostics in severely affected regions.

A rare and significant addition to the response has been the involvement of Starlink, which provided satellite broadband terminals to restore connectivity in blackout zones where fibre breaks and dead towers left entire communities cut off.

These satellite links have enabled coordination between local authorities, disaster-response teams, and health services while ground-based networks remain under repair.

Beyond the immediate crisis, experts point to the long-term implications. With climate-driven disasters intensifying, the telecom sector’s heavy dependence on the national grid, limited redundancy in fibre routes, and insufficient backup power capacity highlight structural vulnerabilities.

The Cyclone Ditwah disruption has revived calls for climate-resilient tower design, elevated switching centres, dual-path fibre routing, and mandatory disaster-preparedness standards for operators.

What is clear is that the disaster has become a watershed moment for Sri Lanka’s telecommunications strategy.

The rapid collaboration between government, operators, international partners, and satellite providers has kept the country connected in the worst conditions  but it has also revealed how urgently the sector must evolve to withstand future shocks.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the Outpatient Department (OPD) at the Chilaw District General Hospital will resume services tomorrow (03), after being temporarily shut down due to the severe weather conditions that disrupted the facility.

According to the hospital’s Deputy Director, power was restored by yesterday (01), while the water supply became operational earlier today (02), enabling the hospital to restart essential functions.

The Ministry added that repairs to other flood-damaged areas of the hospital are being expedited. Officials say the goal is to restore full service delivery as quickly as possible so the public can once again access all healthcare facilities without interruption.

The Department of Meteorology announced that several areas across the Northern, North-Central and Eastern provinces, as well as the Badulla and Matale districts, are likely to experience showers or thundershowers after 2:00 p.m. today (03).

In addition, misty conditions may develop in the early morning hours in portions of the Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Southern provinces, along with the Kurunegala and Ampara districts, the Department said.

Officials have advised the public to take necessary precautions, noting that thundershowers could bring sudden strong winds and lightning, posing potential risks in affected areas.

United States Special Envoy for South and Central Asia and Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, has spoken with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake regarding the ongoing rescue and relief measures following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.During the discussion, Gor reaffirmed that the United States is closely observing the evolving situation and extended heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in the disaster.

President Dissanayake, in response, expressed his appreciation for the United States’ steady support during Sri Lanka’s time of crisis. Cyclone Ditwah has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands, creating one of the most severe humanitarian challenges in recent years.

The United States has already announced a contribution of US$ 2 million to bolster Sri Lanka’s immediate emergency response and relief efforts.

Nearly 390,000 domestic water supply connections across Sri Lanka are yet to be restored after severe flooding and landslides disrupted services in multiple districts, the Office of the Commissioner-General of Essential Services reported.

Of the country’s total 2.94 million water connections, a significant share remains non-operational due to extensive damage caused by the recent adverse weather. The Kandy District is among the hardest hit, with about 66% of its connections still offline.

Restoration delays are also considerable in other regions. In the Kegalle District, 75.09% of connections remain inactive, while Kurunegala has 41.34% yet to be restored. Meanwhile, over half of Puttalam’s water supply network—52.82%—is still non-functional.

Authorities stated that efforts are ongoing to repair damaged infrastructure and resume distribution as quickly as possible.

The Sri Lanka Dawoodi Bohra community has extended significant financial support to national flood relief efforts by donating Rs. 10 million to aid those affected by the recent severe weather conditions.

The donation was formally handed over this morning (02) at the Presidential Secretariat, where the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Dawoodi Bohra Community, Ibrahim Jaffer Zaini, presented the cheque to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. The contribution was made on behalf of the global Bohra spiritual leader, His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.

Community representatives noted that they intend to continue assisting the government’s humanitarian operations, including rescue missions and relief distribution. They also expressed appreciation for the measures already taken by authorities to support families and regions impacted by the widespread flooding.

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.

“Children urgently need help. It is a race against time to reach the most vulnerable families who direly require lifesaving services,” she added. “And while the cyclone may have passed, the consequences have not.”

 The severe damage to homes and vital infrastructure, along with the disruption of essential services, has caused widespread displacement and increases the risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, unsafe living conditions, and severe emotional distress among children.

The cyclone will only deepen the struggles of Sri Lanka’s most vulnerable communities, who are still reeling from successive shocks, including the 2022 economic crisis. According to a World Bank 2025 report, poverty has more than doubled since 2019, rising from 11.3 per cent to 24.5 per cent. For millions of families, life remains unaffordable, with basic needs increasingly out of reach. 

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.

Security forces across Sri Lanka continue to carry out extensive search operations to locate individuals reported missing amid the ongoing disaster situation.

In Badulla, a team from India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) recovered the body of one missing person following a difficult rescue and retrieval mission. According to officials, the remains were found buried under more than five feet of debris, highlighting the severe impact of the recent landslides and flooding in the area.

Search and recovery efforts remain ongoing as authorities work to account for all those affected by the islandwide calamity.

The Department of Irrigation has reported that the Kelani River’s water level has now fallen to a minor flood stage. At the Nagalagam Street gauge, the river measured 6.9 feet at 2:00 p.m., dropping slightly to 6.75 feet by 3:00 p.m. Meanwhile, the Hanwella gauge recorded a decrease from 7.14 feet to 7.07 feet over the same period, although the river remains at a dangerous level.

The department also noted that water levels are gradually receding in other rivers, including the Kalu Ganga and Malwathu Oya. At the Thanthirimale gauge on the Malwathu Oya, the water level decreased from 8.24 feet at 2:00 p.m. to 8.19 feet by 3:00 p.m., yet major flooding persists in parts of the river basin.Authorities continue to monitor all affected waterways and advise residents in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of condolence to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as Sri Lanka continues to confront the severe devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which triggered deadly floods and landslides across multiple districts.

In his statement, President Putin expressed profound sorrow over the high number of casualties and the extensive damage left in the cyclone’s wake.

“Your Excellency, please accept my sincere condolences over the numerous human casualties and the extensive destruction caused by the floods and landslides that have struck your country. I ask you to convey words of sympathy and support to the families and loved ones of those who perished, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured,” the message read.

President Putin also assured that Russia stands ready to extend assistance as Sri Lanka continues its relief and recovery operations following one of the most destructive weather events in recent years.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Nalaka Kaluwawa, confirmed that the remaining subjects of the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination, postponed due to the country’s recent severe weather, will take place in early January 2026.

Regarding school reopenings, Kaluwawa stated that after assessing conditions at provincial and district levels, schools in regions unaffected by transport interruptions, power outages, or communication disruptions will reopen on December 16. Reopening plans for schools in more heavily impacted areas will be determined in coordination with provincial and district authorities.

He added that higher education institutions, including universities, National Colleges of Education, and vocational training centers that were not impacted by the disaster, are expected to resume operations on December 8. Heads of institutions facing operational difficulties will be granted the authority to decide on appropriate reopening dates for their campuses.

The Sri Lanka Army has launched an extensive search operation to find a family reported missing after a landslide hit the Chandirigama area in Kandapola. The incident, triggered by intense rainfall, has left a mother, her two children, and their grandmother unaccounted for, according to local reports.

Troops from the 3rd Battalion of the Sinha Regiment in Nuwara Eliya commenced the search yesterday (01). Authorities said the family's home collapsed during the heavy rains on November 27, and neighbours believe all four were inside at the time of the incident.

Police confirmed that search efforts remain ongoing as rescue teams continue to scour the area.