Sri Lanka issues fresh alerts as Cyclone Ditwah toll climbs to 627

Colombo [Sri Lanka], December 7 : Sri Lankan authorities issued fresh landslide warnings on Sunday as relentless rains continued to pound regions already devastated by Cyclone Ditwah, pushing the nationwide death toll to 627, Al Jazeera reported.

Other parts of Asia are also grappling with the scale of destruction, with combined casualties across the region now exceeding 1,800.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) cautioned that ongoing monsoon storms were making hillsides increasingly unstable, particularly in the central highlands and the northwestern midlands. Officials said the extreme weather has compounded the suffering of more than two million people nearly 10 per cent of Sri Lanka's population affected by last week's climate crisis-driven floods and landslides triggered by the island's worst cyclone this century, as per Al Jazeera.

With many communities cut off by landslides, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were deployed on Sunday to deliver emergency supplies to remote pockets in the central region.

The Sri Lanka Air Force confirmed that Myanmar had sent a planeload of relief materials, marking the latest international assistance to reach the country.

According to the government, 627 deaths have been confirmed so far, including 464 in the central tea-growing belt. Another 209 people remain missing, according to Al Jazeera.

The DMC said the number of displaced residents in state-run camps has fallen to 100,000 from a peak of 225,000 as floodwaters gradually receded.

Damage assessments show more than 75,000 homes have been affected, with close to 5,000 destroyed. Early estimates from senior officials indicate that recovery and reconstruction could cost up to USD 7 billion.

On Friday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it was reviewing Sri Lanka's request for an additional USD 200 million to support rebuilding efforts.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka's economy had made a significant recovery but was not strong enough to withstand the latest shock on its own.

Elsewhere in Asia, the death toll from floods and landslides that hit Indonesia's Sumatra island has reached more than 900, according to authorities.

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