Ottawa’s Sri Lankan community is coming together to provide assistance to their homeland following a destructive cyclone. Cyclone Ditwah brought heavy rainfall to Sri Lanka recently, resulting in landslides and flooding. This cyclone is believed to be one of the most severe weather calamities to hit the island nation in the Indian Ocean in years. Due to disrupted communications and blocked roads, the complete extent of the devastation is not yet fully known.
Naradha Kodituwakku, a member of the Sri Lanka Canada Association of Ottawa, mentioned that various Sri Lankan groups in Canada have united to offer support in light of the distressing news. Collaborating with the Muslim and Tamil communities, they initiated a GoFundMe campaign to aid Sri Lanka. Kodituwakku estimated approximately 1,000 Sri Lankan families in the capital and highlighted the fundraiser’s goal of raising $50,000 for recovery efforts.
Describing the dire situation, Kodituwakku emphasized the widespread damage caused by the cyclone, including numerous landslides and infrastructure failures. He compared the excessive rainfall in Sri Lanka, reaching up to 500 millimetres in 24 hours, to Ottawa’s average monthly precipitation of around 76 millimetres. The community in Ottawa has mobilized to provide assistance in the face of such catastrophic conditions.
Fahad Siyad, another member of the Sri Lankan community in Ottawa, shared his challenges in contacting family members affected by the flooding. He mentioned that an entire village where his relatives reside has been submerged, with approximately 800 people reported missing. Despite ongoing rescue operations, the fate of many individuals remains uncertain.
According to the Sri Lankan Government Disaster Management Center, the confirmed death toll stands at 334, with expectations of a rise in casualties as more individuals are reported missing. Additionally, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have also encountered significant devastation due to a rare tropical storm in the Malacca Strait, resulting in extensive rainfall and strong winds over the past week.
