The combined impact of increased cyclone intensity, rising sea levels and increased heavy rainfalls can be devastating for PICs, in which most of the population live in coastal areas vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surges and flooding.
The health impacts of tropical cyclones depend on the number of people living in low-lying coastal areas in the storm’s direct path, the built environment including building design, and whether there is sufficient time for warning and evacuation. Tropical cyclones, may directly and indirectly affect health in many ways, for example by: increasing cases of drowning and other physical trauma ...
Start of the cyclone season in the South Pacific: Tips on how to prepare
Sri Lanka is experiencing torrential rainfall, severe flooding and landslides as the northeast monsoon intensifies, worsened by the impact of Cyclonic Storm Ditwah which made landfall on the island’s eastern coast early morning on 28 November 2025. Cyclone Ditwah has resulted in a devastating nationwide emergency in Sri Lanka, affecting more than 1.4 million people from over 407,594 families ...
When Cyclone Ditwah swept across Sri Lanka in late 2025, it left behind a trail of disruption that tested the resilience of communities and the national health system. In the hours and days that followed, the World Health Organization (WHO) stepped in to support the Ministry of Health with coordinated action, technical expertise and critical supplies that helped stabilize essential services ...
WHO’s work in the acute phase of Cyclone Ditwah: Looking ahead to build ...
The most powerful cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere ravaged Fiji on 20–21 February 2016, leaving 44 dead, nearly 130 injured and 45 hospitalized. The cyclone had a significant impact on the health system, damaging health facilities, disrupting health care services, resulting in lost medical supplies, and interrupting telecommunications, road and sea transportation, and water ...