ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dispatched 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka via sea route after India denied permission to use its airspace.
Due to India’s irresponsible behavior, NDMA has taken special measures to send relief goods via sea, which will take about 8 days to arrive.
At least 465 people have been killed as a result of last week’s cyclone, another 366 remain missing, and though the rain has stopped, recovery has just begun.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency and called for international support.
The relief goods included tents, blankets, quilts, life jackets, boats, water pumps, lanterns, mats, mosquito nets, powdered milk for children, rations, and medicines.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said that “Pakistan has dispatched 200 tons of humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka via sea cargo to support relief efforts following the devastating cyclone Ditwah.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a send-off ceremony was held in Islamabad, attended by Bilal Azhar Kayani, Minister of State for Finance, and Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Pakistan.
“Pakistan stands in full solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka,” the statement concluded.
The consignment was handed over at the NDMA warehouse in Islamabad. Representatives from NDMA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Al-Khidmat Foundation, and the media also attended the handover ceremony.
NDMA is constantly working to deal with the devastation and negative impacts of disasters in Pakistan and other countries. Bilal Azhar said.
The Sri Lankan envoy said that he is grateful to the people and government of Pakistan for providing immediate assistance.
The disaster is already the deadliest since the Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami of 2004, which devastated Sri Lanka’s coastline.
This time, the entire country has been affected either by landslides or floods. The Disaster Management Centre said that over 1.5 million people were affected.
