Hill-Country (Malaiyaha) Tamils in Sri Lanka: Concept Paper for the Discussion on Post-Ditwah Recovery

Arul Karki and Ramesh Ramasamy

December, 2025

Executive Summary

Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka on November 27, 2025, has disproportionately impacted the Central Highland regions, home to the historically marginalized Malaiyaha Tamil community. While the national affected population exceeds 2 million people, the highest casualty rates are concentrated in districts like Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Badulla. This report urgently calls on the national and international community to move beyond emergency relief to address the systemic vulnerabilities and denial of rights—particularly concerning housing and land tenure—that impede the community’s equitable and sustainable recovery, aligning with the spirit of the National Disaster Management Plan to support the most vulnerable.

1. Disproportionate Impact on Central Highlands

The Central Highlands, where the Malaiyaha Tamil community resides, have suffered the most catastrophic consequences of Cyclone Ditwah, primarily due to intense landslides and severe flooding.

Catastrophic Casualties: The highest number of reported fatalities occurred in the Central Highland districts, highlighting extreme vulnerability to slope failures.
- Kandy: 232 reported deaths.
- Nuwara Eliya: 89 reported deaths.
- Badulla: 83 reported deaths.

Shelter Destruction: Nationwide, 75,192 houses have been partially or fully damaged. A significant portion of this damage is concentrated in these Central and Uva Province districts, where the primary housing (line rooms) is inherently precarious and often located in high-risk zones.
Humanitarian Focus: Relief operations have correctly identified Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Badulla as priority districts for relief distribution, including Core Relief Items (CRIs) and the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation support to isolated communities.

2. Critical Humanitarian and Recovery Needs

Immediate and medium-term needs in the Central Highlands are urgent and require targeted, rights-based interventions:

Shelter and NFIs (Non-Food Items): With massive housing destruction, there is a critical need for technical support for shelter repairs and the distribution of core relief items (such as sleeping mats, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, and full NFI kits) to those who have lost possessions, especially in priority districts like Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Matale, and Badulla.
WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene): Safe drinking water and sanitation support must reach isolated communities in Badulla, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya to mitigate the risk of waterborne diseases, as medical and public health teams have been deployed.
Protection and Psychosocial Support: Protection services, including safety checks in evacuation centers and psychosocial support for children and affected families, are essential to address the trauma and displacement. Distribution of maternity and dignity kits is crucial, and the risk of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains high during displacement.
Livelihood Recovery: Given the high dependence on the plantation economy, support for early recovery must include assessments (like the planned Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission – CFSAM) and assistance with tools and inputs for those dependent on agriculture.

3. Infrastructure and Essential Public Services

The existing underdevelopment and poor maintenance of infrastructure in the plantation areas significantly compounded the impact of the Ditwah disaster on the community. Like the line rooms, public services such as roads, water supply schemes, and sanitation facilities often lag far behind national standards.

Road and Connectivity Damage: Internal and main roads within the estates have been severely damaged by landslides, flooding, and erosion. These damages have delayed the access of emergency services, such as ambulances, and the distribution of relief supplies, potentially contributing to the loss of life.
Water and Sanitation System Breakdown: The water supply and drainage systems, which are poorly maintained, have been damaged or completely destroyed. If not immediately repaired, this poses a major public health crisis post-disaster, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera and diarrhea in communities already weakened by displacement.
Public Service Integration: These infrastructure deficiencies significantly reduce the resilience of the Malaiyaha community. International support is crucial to help integrate these traditionally company-managed, but severely dilapidated, services into the permanent national public service network.

3. Infrastructure and Essential Public Services

Road and Connectivity Damage: Internal and main roads within the estates have been severely damaged by landslides, flooding, and erosion. These damages have delayed the access of emergency services, such as ambulances, and the distribution of relief supplies, potentially contributing to the loss of life.
Water and Sanitation System Breakdown: The water supply and drainage systems, which are poorly maintained, have been damaged or completely destroyed. If not immediately repaired, this poses a major public health crisis post-disaster, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera and diarrhea in communities already weakened by displacement.
Public Service Integration: These infrastructure deficiencies significantly reduce the resilience of the Malaiyaha community. International support is crucial to help integrate these traditionally company-managed, but severely dilapidated, services into the permanent national public service network.

4. Upholding Rights and Addressing Structural Vulnerability

The core rights issue for the Malaiyaha Tamil community is their structural vulnerability, which is exacerbated by disaster relief policies, despite the National Disaster Management Plan’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities at all stages.

The Land Tenure Barrier: While official policy provides reconstruction grants, access is severely limited because plantation workers lack the legal land deeds required by administrative procedures for full compensation and bank loans, as their dwellings are owned by plantation companies.
Exclusion from Reconstruction: This systemic lack of legal ownership (Absolute Deeds) means the community is often excluded from the full financial mechanisms designed for reconstruction, forcing them into deeper poverty.
Resettlement Without Ownership: Any resettlement scheme for those in high-risk zones risks perpetuating this cycle if new housing units are not accompanied by full, unencumbered land deeds.

5. Call to Action for the International Community

Based on the confirmed high impact and existing structural barriers, the international community must intervene strategically:

Advocate for Policy Reform (Rights-Based Aid): International partners must use their leverage to advocate for the immediate suspension or adaptation of land tenure requirements for post-Ditwah housing compensation. A special directive recognizing Long-Term Occupancy certified by local authorities must be implemented immediately.
Targeted Funding for Infrastructure: Adequate funding must be allocated to urgently repair and upgrade the dilapidated roads, water supply, and drainage systems in plantation areas, bringing them up to national standards. This development should promote long-term human development and social resilience.
Ensure Tenure in Resettlement: Future funding for permanent resettlement must be conditional upon the Government of Sri Lanka providing Absolute and Unencumbered Land Deeds to recipient Malaiyaha Tamil families. New houses must not become “new line rooms”
without ownership.
Community-Based Livelihood Support: Financial and technical assistance should be directed through programs that specifically target the structural vulnerabilities of the Malaiyaha community, focusing on livelihood diversification, insurance schemes for their dwellings, and building resilience against future climate shocks.
Inclusive Disaster Planning: Support the full implementation of the National Disaster Management Plan, ensuring all disaster-related information and processes are accessible in the Tamil language and that community-based organizations are integrated into the decision-making for relief and reconstruction.
Adopting a rights-based approach in social and economic development.

By prioritizing targeted support, rights-based reconstruction, and critical infrastructure development, the international community can ensure that recovery from Cyclone Ditwah addresses both the climate crisis and the historical injustices faced by the Hill-Country Tamil community.