Sri Lanka Cyclone Ditwah: Survivors Trapped in Relief Centers as Damaged Homes Remain Unsafe

Cyclone Ditwah has destroyed 1,289 homes across Sri Lanka, leaving many survivors reluctant to return to their damaged houses.

In the central Sri Lankan village of Kithulbadde, residents express feeling abandoned following last week's devastating cyclone, with many remaining in relief centers due to concerns about compromised infrastructure making their homes unsafe to inhabit.

Government data indicates the powerful storm claimed 479 lives while affecting 1.2 million people through intense winds and the worst flooding in a decade. An additional 350 individuals remain missing.

The cyclone's impact has created deep ground fissures and caused structural damage to homes, compelling many displaced residents to stay in emergency shelters.

"People are scared to go home, they don't feel safe," explained Madullegedera Chandralatha, 57, who lives in Kithulbadde, a picturesque village surrounded by hills and tea plantations.

Beyond the completely destroyed homes, government assessments show 44,500 houses have sustained partial damage. Officials are gathering data to develop "long-term solutions" for those living in high-risk areas.

Residents emphasize that relocation is impossible without significant assistance. Prasanna Shantha Kumara, 48, has a home with severe structural damage including deep gashes in the living room and multiple wall cracks.

Kumara now divides his time between the relief center, where he relocated with his wife and three children, and daily visits to his property to salvage his flood-damaged capsicum crop that continues to deteriorate.

Many villagers follow a similar routine, checking on their tea plots, vegetable gardens of chillies and cabbage, or their pets during daylight hours before returning to the shelters for the night.

"I have lost my house, and my crop...What are we going to do? How can we live like this? We need help," Kumara told Reuters.

Dr. Gamini Jayatissa from the government's National Building Research Organisation has urged residents to evacuate areas with ground fissures, warning that additional rainfall could trigger landslides.

However, residents of Kithulbadde – primarily day laborers who harvest tea, grow vegetables, and raise goats – dismiss the possibility of relocating without assistance.

"Where are we going to go? We are surrounded by hills...We don't have the financial capacity to leave everything and restart life elsewhere by ourselves," said Vasanthi Kumari, 54.