COLOMBO, Jan. 14 -- Nearly all communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka suffered damage to homes, roads and other critical infrastructure, according to a new assessment released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Wednesday (14), highlighting the scale of recovery needs and the urgency of accessible financing for vulnerable populations.

The qualitative assessment, conducted across 85 divisional secretariat divisions in the 22 worst-affected districts, found that 95% of respondents reported damage to residential, transport, industrial or community infrastructure in their areas. Housing and road networks were the most frequently cited sectors affected.

The assessment was based on key informant interviews with 51...