Sri Lanka floods destroy over one Million vital documents

More than one million birth and marriage certificates have been destroyed in Sri Lanka due to landslides and floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the Registrar General’s Department confirmed.

Officials estimate that over half of the nearly 2.2 million people affected by the disaster have lost these essential documents.

Registrar General Mrs. Shashi Devi Jaldeepan said the Department has launched mobile service programs to issue new birth and marriage certificates free of charge. The one-day expedited service is being provided in 22 districts affected by the disaster. Efforts are also underway to issue death certificates for those who died or remain missing.

The mobile service program is being implemented in some areas under the government’s “Clean Sri Lanka” program, with support from the Commissioner General of Essential Services and some non-governmental organizations.

Mrs. Jaldeepan emphasized that the Department aims to complete the issuance of all new certificates before the end of January 2026.