Sri Lanka ends state of emergency

Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced an end to the state of emergency that was put in effect after the devastating Cyclone Ditwah hit the island nation nearly seven months ago.

Cyclone Ditwah that hit Sri Lanka in late November 2025 killed over 600 people and caused severe flooding, landslides, and widespread destruction across all 25 districts of the country.

The Government maintained that the state of emergency was needed to expedite disaster response and rescue operations. It also allowed for the deployment of troops to help carry out essential services and coordinate relief recovery and reconstruction efforts. The state of emergency declared following Cyclone Ditwah will not be extended, Government spokesman and minister Nalinda Jayathissa told reporters.  Over 600 people died, 1,20,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, leaving many families displaced and dependent on temporary shelters after Cyclone Ditwah.

At least 2.2 million of the 21 million population were exposed to the cyclone and 1.2 million were directly affected as the cyclone displaced hundreds of thousands, and caused major damage to homes, agriculture, transportation networks, schools, hospitals, and public utilities.