NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force and Indian Navy have scaled up humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah across the island nation.
The Indian Air Force was quick to respond, deploying one C-130 and one IL-76 from Hindon Air Base near Delhi on the night of November 28/29 to airlift 21 tonnes of relief material along with over 80 NDRF personnel and eight tonnes of rescue equipment. Essential rations and critical supplies were delivered to support affected communities.
The IAF reaffirmed the spirit of 'neighbourhood first', saying, “India stands firmly with Sri Lanka in this hour of need.”
On Saturday, Sri Lanka appealed for urgent international assistance as Cyclone Ditwah continued to batter the island. According to reports, the cyclone led to the deaths of up to 153 people with 191 still missing.
More than 15,000 homes were destroyed and nearly 78,000 people forced to take refuge in state-run temporary shelters consequent to the continued torrential rain and landslides triggered by the cyclonic storm. Cyclone Ditwah is one of the country’s worst natural disasters in recent years.
The Sri Lankan Air Force posted on X about the assets and manpower committed by the Indian Air Force to augment the ongoing humanitarian operation. “Two IAF MI-17V5 helicopters arrived in Sri Lanka this evening, with 22 personnel and essential HADR supplies to support ongoing Search and Rescue (SAR) operations,” it said.
The mission teams were led by Wing Commander Nagesh Kumar and Wing Commander Mukul Mahajan.
Mentioning the deployment by the Indian Navy, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar posted on X, “Two Chetak helicopters from @IN_R11Vikrant (INS Vikrant, Aircraft Carrier) took off for Search and Rescue Operations with @airforcelk (Sri Lanka Air Force) personnel onboard.”
Responding quickly, relief supplies from INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri, including 4.5 tons of dry rations, 2 tons of fresh rations, and essential items, were handed over to the Sri Lankan authorities as assistance to the affected families.
Further, another Indian Navy ship, INS Sukanya, departed from Visakhapatnam with additional relief material and is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka soon.
Indian High Commission officials in Colombo are supporting stranded Indian passengers at Bandaranaike International Airport, providing food, water and assistance amid severe flight disruptions.