Over 100 young Sri Lankans participated in a national simulation exercise designed to position youth leaders as community communicators and early warning disseminators before disasters strike, rather than only responding after catastrophe occurs.
More than 100 youth leaders from across Sri Lanka gathered in Maharagama on 12 August to participate in a disaster preparedness simulation exercise titled The Resilience Lab: Local Youth Action in Crisis Response. The event, organized by the United Nations Population Fund in partnership with the National Youth Services Council and the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry, aimed to test young people's decision-making in simulated emergencies including floods, landslides and disease outbreaks.
The initiative reflects a strategic shift in Sri Lanka's approach to disaster management. Rather than focusing solely on emergency response after crises occur, officials emphasize the importance of early warning dissemination and community preparation. NYSC Chairman Supun Wijerathna stated that the organization's extensive network of approximately 14,000 youth clubs reaching 280,000 young people positions the youth sector as a crucial asset for reaching vulnerable populations before disaster strikes. According to the 2024 Census, young people aged 15 to 29 comprise nearly 22 per cent of Sri Lanka's population.
The simulations placed particular emphasis on what officials termed reaching "the last person"—ensuring warnings reach isolated elderly residents, people with disabilities and pregnant women who might otherwise be overlooked in standard evacuation procedures. UNFPA Sri Lanka Assistant Representative Dr. Dayanath Ranatunga characterized youth not as passive disaster relief recipients but as "active communicators, first responders, and community mobilisers." The exercise also integrated sexual and reproductive health considerations into emergency scenarios, acknowledging that humanitarian needs intensify rather than diminish during crises.
The exercise was prompted partly by the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which affected 2.2 million people, caused over 600 deaths and damaged nearly 115,000 homes. Officials stressed that the true measure of this preparedness initiative will emerge during actual emergencies, when young community members must translate early warnings into protective community action.
