On Monday the Sri Lanka Air Force formally saw off two Indian Air Force helicopters that had been deployed for relief operations after Cyclone Ditwah. The choppers, which departed after completing their mission, carried out airlifts of emergency supplies, evacuated affected people and provided aerial cover for ground rescue teams during the immediate aftermath of the storm.
According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, the helicopters evacuated 264 survivors and transported about 50 tonnes of aid. The Sri Lankan Air Force said the Indian aircraft substantially strengthened the country’s emergency response during a critical period, and additional Indian assistance is expected.
Also arriving on Monday was INS Gharial, which docked at Trincomalee with about 700 tonnes of food, essentials and clothing sent from Tamil Nadu. The shipment was received by Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, who thanked India for its prompt and sustained support. Tamil Nadu’s contribution under Operation Sagar Bandhu totals roughly 1,000 tonnes of essentials and clothing, with some 300 tonnes having reached Colombo earlier aboard three Indian naval ships.
India’s field hospital at Mahiyanganaya, near Kandy, is fully operational and offering trauma care, surgical procedures, ambulance services and other critical medical support to communities hit by floods and landslides. The Indian Army’s Engineering Task Force is also collaborating with Sri Lankan authorities to repair and reopen major roads damaged by the cyclone.
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha met Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa to review ongoing health assistance, including field hospitals and the BHISHM Cube deployment, and to plan next steps to strengthen medical support in affected areas.
Official tolls released Tuesday at 9 a.m. put the death count at 638, with 191 people still missing following extreme weather and its resulting floods and landslides since November 16. A UNDP analysis published Sunday estimated that about 2.3 million people were affected by Ditwah, more than half of them women. The cyclone impacted roughly 1.1 million hectares — nearly 20% of Sri Lanka’s land area — and triggered about 1,200 landslides in the hill country, where damage was especially heavy.
UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota reported that floodwaters reached almost 720,000 buildings, about one in every twelve structures nationwide. The analysis also found that over 16,000 kilometres of roads, more than 278 kilometres of railway track and around 480 bridges were in flooded zones.
Kubota warned that the disaster has hit regions already weakened by years of economic strain. After one of Sri Lanka’s worst economic crises and a slow recovery, the country cannot take on more costly debt to rebuild. She urged international partners to provide affordable financing and innovative instruments so Sri Lanka can recover quickly and resiliently without falling into a deeper debt trap.
India was the first country to respond to Sri Lanka’s international appeal for help under Operation Sagar Bandhu, and its military, medical and logistical assistance has played a prominent role in the early relief effort.
