Sri Lanka Air Force on Monday bid farewell to two Indian Air Force helicopters that ended their rescue mission in the cyclone-hit island nation, while INS Gharial reached Trincomalee carrying 700 tonnes of relief material from Tamil Nadu.
The IAF choppers, which departed on Monday, had airlifted immediate relief supplies to distressed communities, evacuated those affected and provided air cover for rescue teams in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah and severe weather. “Their contribution significantly enhanced Sri Lanka’s national disaster response during a period of urgent need,” the Sri Lankan Air Force said.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo said the helicopters evacuated 264 survivors and airlifted about 50 tonnes of relief material, noting more Indian assistance was expected.
INS Gharial arrived in Trincomalee on Monday with 700 tonnes of food items, essentials and clothing from Tamil Nadu. The consignment was formally received by Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, who expressed appreciation for India’s swift and sustained assistance.
Tamil Nadu has sent about 1,000 tonnes of essential food items and clothes to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu; roughly 300 tonnes reached Colombo aboard three Indian naval ships on Sunday.
India’s fully operational field hospital at Mahiyanganaya, near Kandy, is providing trauma care, surgeries, ambulance support and other critical medical services to flood-affected communities. The Indian Army’s Engineering Task Force is also working with Sri Lankan authorities to restore connectivity along main road arteries damaged by the cyclone.
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha met Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa to discuss ongoing efforts to bolster healthcare, including deployment of field hospitals and the BHISHM Cube, and next steps to strengthen these efforts.
As of Tuesday at 9 a.m., 638 people had been killed and 191 were missing in catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather since November 16. India was the first country to respond to Sri Lanka’s international appeal for assistance under Operation Sagar Bandhu.
A UNDP analysis released Sunday estimated 2.3 million people were affected by Ditwah, more than half of them women. The cyclone impacted about 1.1 million hectares — nearly 20% of the island’s land area — and triggered 1,200 landslides in the hill country, where damage was especially severe.
“The floodwaters reached nearly 720,000 buildings, about one in every twelve buildings in the country. Over 16,000 kilometres of roads, enough to circle the island’s coastline more than twelve times, were exposed to flooding. Similarly, over 278 km of railway tracks and 480 bridges were located in flooded areas,” UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota said.
Kubota warned that the disaster struck regions already weakened by years of economic stress. After one of its worst economic crises and a slow recovery, Sri Lanka cannot shoulder more debt to fund rebuilding. International partners must step up with affordable financing and innovative instruments to enable rapid, resilient recovery without pushing the country into a debt cliff, he added.
