On 28 November 2025, Cyclone Ditwah made landfall in Sri Lanka, causing severe flooding and landslides, creating a rapidly evolving humanitarian emergency that has affected more than 2 million people. 

Approximately 22,572 pregnant women and 520,549 women of reproductive age have been affected by the cyclone. But with numerous hospitals and health clinics damaged, many women are left without reliable access to life-saving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, increasing risks of unassisted births, pregnancy complications and unmet family planning needs. 

Currently, 152,537 people are residing in temporary evacuation shelters. Overcrowding, limited lighting, lack of privacy, and shared sanitation facilities are heightening gender-based violence (GBV) risks, particularly for adolescent girls, older women, and persons with disabilities. GBV interventions are urgently needed to mitigate intimate partner violence and sexual violence, as well as ensuring support services are available to survivors. 

As humanitarian needs continue to escalate, immediate funding and support are needed to maintain and scale up these critical services and reach affected populations. UNFPA is appealing for US$8.3 million to provide life-saving SRH, GBV protection, and psychosocial services in the 10 most affected districts of Sri Lanka. These services are critical to safeguarding the health, rights, and dignity of those most at risk, preventing further loss of life, and ensuring essential care.