COLOMBO, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- About 2.3 million people in Sri Lanka were directly exposed to flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which made landfall on Nov. 28, 2025, according to a report.
The joint assessment report by the United Nations Development Programme and Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center has mapped the initial impact of the cyclone, which caused extensive flooding, landslides, and infrastructure disruptions across the country.
According to the report, issued on Wednesday, the cyclone produced heavy rainfall, resulting in 1.1 million hectares of flooding, equivalent to approximately 20 percent of Sri Lanka's land area.
Using WorldPop population data and satellite-derived flood maps, the report estimates that 2.3 million people were directly exposed to cyclone-related flooding. This includes about 1.2 million women, 522,000 children, and 263,000 elderly people.
Infrastructure exposure was widespread. The assessment estimates that nearly 720,000 buildings were exposed to flooding nationwide. More than 16,000 km of roads and over 480 bridges were within inundated areas, along with 278 km of railways and 35 rail bridges. ■
