Community rapid assessment report: the impact of Cyclone Ditwah on persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka 2025-2026

This report presents an assessment of the impacts of a cyclone on persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Sri Lanka, conducted by Yellow Dot and partners. The assessment examines how the cyclone affected people with different disabilities, focusing on access to services, safety, livelihoods, and humanitarian assistance. In the weeks and months following Cyclone Ditwah which struck Sri Lanka on 27 November 2025, affected all 25 districts, displaced over 76,000 people, and caused an estimated US$4.1 billion in damage Yellowdot Community and partners conducted a community-based rapid needs assessment of persons with disabilities across four provinces: Central, Northern, Uva, and Western the most impacted by the cyclone. 136 households participated in the assessment. 150 persons with disabilities and their families received direct support, additionally reaching approximately over 400 family members and caregivers of PwD.

The report finds that persons with disabilities experienced disproportionately severe impacts during and after the cyclone. Barriers to evacuation, limited access to relief services, and disruptions to health and support systems increased their vulnerability. The findings are significant, consistent across all four provinces, and carry important implications not only for Sri Lanka but for disability-inclusive disaster preparedness and response across the Asia-Pacific region.