{"id":20643,"date":"2026-03-03T09:54:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T09:54:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/southasia\/?p=20643"},"modified":"2026-03-03T09:55:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T09:55:00","slug":"cyclone-ditwahs-loss-and-damage-greenpeace-south-asia-calls-for-climate-accountability-as-new-issue-brief-reveals-hidden-human-cost-of-the-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/southasia\/press\/20643\/cyclone-ditwahs-loss-and-damage-greenpeace-south-asia-calls-for-climate-accountability-as-new-issue-brief-reveals-hidden-human-cost-of-the-disaster\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyclone Ditwah\u2019s Loss and Damage: Greenpeace South Asia Calls for Climate Accountability as New Issue Brief Reveals Hidden Human Cost of the Disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Colombo, 3rd March 2026: Greenpeace South Asia has released its new Issue Brief 4.0: Cyclone Ditwah\u2019s Loss and Damage: A Case For Climate Accountability<\/strong>. The Brief details the extensive destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah and emphasizes the urgent need for climate accountability, Loss and Damage financing, and justice for the communities affected in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n

While official assessments of Cyclone Ditwah have focused largely on destroyed homes, damaged roads, and economic losses, the issue brief reveals a deeper and largely unrecognised crisis including non-economic Loss and Damage. In several landslide-affected areas, bodies of loved ones remain unrecovered, denying families the ability to perform final rites and prolonging psychological distress. This unresolved grief represents a profound cultural and emotional loss that falls outside conventional disaster accounting systems.<\/p>\n\n

Scientific evidence confirms that human-driven climate change significantly intensified Ditwah\u2019s impacts. A recent analysis by World Weather Attribution found that the extreme five-day rainfall linked to Cyclone Ditwah was in between 28\u2013160% more intense than it would have been without global warming.<\/p>\n\n

Critical infrastructure, roads, bridges, railways, and utilities suffered extensive damage, slowing relief and recovery efforts. Over 114,000 homes were partially or fully damaged, with 6,000 completely destroyed. Agriculture and fisheries were heavily impacted, undermining food security and rural incomes. The World Bank Group estimates total economic damages at US$4.1 billion.<\/p>\n\n

Yet, beyond visible destruction, the Issue Brief documents profound non-economic Loss and Damage, including psychological trauma, disrupted education, loss of cultural and ancestral land, erosion of social cohesion, and ecosystem damage. Entire villages in areas such as Kotmale, Walapane, and Ragala were destabilised by landslides that erased homes within seconds. Damage to culturally significant and archaeological sites further deepens this irreversible loss, representing not just physical erosion but the weakening of collective heritage and historical memory.<\/p>\n\n

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