November to January are usually the busiest season for Herath Gedara Rohan Anil Kumara’s three-bedroom homestay in Sri Lanka’s hill country, famed for its tea plantations, historic sites and quaint villages. But after Cyclone Ditwah tore through the island last week, killing nearly 500 people, Kumara now finds himself in a relief centre, uncertain when he can rebuild his business.

His now-damaged house used to earn him more than $30 a night, enough to support his family, but the 37-year-old has been forced to cancel all bookings for December and January.

"I’m still getting inquiries, but we can’t accept them," Kumara said from the Kithulbedda relief centre, where he moved with his family of six last Friday. "I don’t know when we will be able to rebuild and return to normal."

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