(Sri Lanka Brief/02 December 2025) – The United National Party (UNP) has accused the government of a serious lapse in disaster preparedness, claiming that Sri Lanka’s National Disaster Management Plan was never activated during last week’s devastating floods. The party says this failure worsened the impact of Cyclone Ditwah and contributed to widespread loss and damage.
In statement issued on today, the UNP argued that the Disaster Management Council is legally bound under the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005 to implement the national plan. However, key protocols – including early warnings, community alerts, and inter-agency coordination – were ignored.
The plan mandates continuous engagement with technical bodies such as the Meteorology Department, the National Building Research Organisation, and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, as well as international early-warning systems. It also requires timely bulletins and alerts to vulnerable communities through local officials, media, mobile notifications, and emergency call centres.
According to the UNP, the “last-mile dissemination” process involving the Disaster Management Centre, military, police, provincial authorities, and humanitarian agencies was never triggered. Annual preparedness meetings and drills, which are part of the plan’s readiness framework, were also overlooked despite a sensitisation workshop held in June this year.
The party claims that on 27 November, as Cyclone Ditwah approached, the government failed to invoke Sections 11 and 12 of the Act, which allow the declaration of a State of Disaster. Instead, 28 November – the most critical day for operations – was declared a public holiday, leaving early-warning systems inactive.
“The law was clear, but the government chose inaction,” the statement said, adding that the President, Prime Minister, and Cabinet failed to exercise powers under the Act to mitigate harm. Citing a Supreme Court observation from the Easter Sunday attack cases, the UNP warned that failure to act during a crisis could amount to a constitutional violation of the fundamental right to life.