Sri Lanka, Dec. 10 -- Acknowledging shortcomings in Sri Lanka's disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that Cyclone Ditwah exposed long-standing weaknesses that the government is now moving to correct.

In an interview with Newsweek, Editorial Director and Senior Vice President (Asia) Danish Manzoor Bhat questioned the President on criticisms surrounding the government's handling of the disaster.

"Cyclone Ditwah was catastrophic-lives lost, villages submerged, infrastructure torn apart," President Dissanayake said, stressing that despite the devastation, the state response was immediate.

"Our forces and local authorities mobilised. Our partners stepped in as well. Although the priority ...