Colombo [Sri Lanka], December 3 (ANI): A special contingent of the Indian Army arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief following Cyclone Ditwah.
India launched “Operation Sagar Bandhu” to support rescue, relief and HADR operations after the cyclone. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said an Indian Air Force C-17 transport aircraft carrying a self-contained modular field hospital, more than 70 medical and support personnel, and vehicles landed in Colombo, noting that India continues to aid Sri Lanka’s flood relief.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo said India has dispatched two rapidly deployable field hospitals along with around 70 personnel to provide medical support in affected areas as rescue and relief efforts intensify.
Sri Lankan reports put the death toll from severe weather linked to Cyclone Ditwah at 410. The Disaster Management Centre said about 1.4 million people from 407,594 families have been impacted by floods, landslides and heavy rains across the island.
Mahishini Colonne, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, praised India as a first responder, recalling support during the tsunami and economic crisis, and expressing gratitude for India’s immediate relief efforts. She said the damage is extensive, many lives were lost, and Sri Lanka remains in the relief and rescue phase. Colonne highlighted the presence of medical teams and mobile hospitals and said India is working with Sri Lankan officials to help the country recover, expressing confidence that the crisis will strengthen bilateral ties.
The rapid scale and pace of India’s response underscore its commitment to assisting Sri Lanka in its hour of need. Guided by the Neighbourhood First policy and the MAHASAGAR outlook, India continues to act as a first responder and a regional security provider. (ANI)
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