Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has extended the state of public emergency for another month. Initially declared following the Ditwah cyclone's landfall, the emergency aims to ensure public order and maintain essential services. The measure facilitates coordinated rescue and relief efforts by agencies, including the military, to address widespread destruction from floods, landslides, and infrastructure collapse. The cyclone, which hit in November, has resulted in 638 deaths and 175 missing persons, with thousands of houses damaged.