UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena said a nearly 200-page disaster management plan, reportedly prepared by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2023, should be made public. He noted that the plan, formulated in coordination with local and international institutions, outlines solutions to protect the country and its people from disasters during the period 2023 to 2030.

Responding to questions from journalists, Abeywardena said that although the current administration claims it was prepared for the recent crisis, it is essential to verify whether such preparedness actually existed.

He accused the government machinery of failing in its disaster-response duties and stressed the need for immediate, accurate data on human and animal deaths. He said around 3 million egg-laying hens had been washed out to sea, while nearly 10 million animals in total were believed to have perished.

Highlighting the extensive state apparatus available across the country — including 14,022 Grama Niladharis, 17,000 development officers, agricultural research officers, Samurdhi officers and public health midwives — Abeywardena said such a system should be capable of providing accurate casualty information within 72 hours.

Citing the 2004 tsunami as an example, he said that authorities were able to confirm around 42,000 deaths within days due to the effective use of the state mechanism at the time.

He warned that failure to properly manage and account for the high number of human and animal deaths could lead to severe public health risks. He also stressed that all arms of the state apparatus, including the health sector, must work together as one team to deliver relief to the surviving population.