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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that India is proud to stand by Sri Lanka during Cyclone Ditwah and has proposed an assistance package worth USD 450 million. Jaishankar, who is in Sri Lanka as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special envoy, made these remarks alongside Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. "Just as Sri Lanka was recovering from the economic crisis of 2022, this natural disaster has created ?new ?difficulties," Jaishankar, who ?is on a two-day visit ?to the island nation, said. "Prime Minister Modi directed that we now engage with the Sri Lankan government to address their priorities. In that regard, the assistance package that we have proposed is worth USD 450 million, Jaishankar said. "The package will include USD 350 million in Concessional lines of credit, and USD 100 million of grants," he said. "This package is being finalised, in close consultation with the government of Sri Lanka. Our assistance will cover sectors worst affected b
India has extended its humanitarian and infrastructure assistance from the island's north to the northern Jaffna peninsula following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, India has deployed engineering and medical teams to restore damaged connectivity and support affected communities. "As part of India's continued assistance to Sri Lanka under 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', the Indian High Commission in Colombo, Assistant High Commission in Kandy and Consulate General of India in Jaffna conducted humanitarian assistance distribution drives for families affected by Cyclone Ditwah in different parts of the Island." "On December 18, High Commissioner of India Santosh Jha distributed relief kits among affected families in the Kolonnawa in coordination with 'All Ceylon Sufi Spiritual Association' and among children of Bhaktivedanta Children's Home Gokulam' at ISKCON Temple in Colombo." "Earlier this month, the High Commissioner also distributed assistance am
The IMF has approved an emergency funding of USD 206 million under its rapid finance instrument to help Sri Lanka address the urgent needs arising from the catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah and preserve macroeconomic stability. The cyclone caused widespread destruction in the island nation and left over 643 people dead. In a statement issued on Friday, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the disaster has created urgent humanitarian and reconstruction needs, generating significant fiscal pressures and balance-of-payments needs. The emergency financial support provided by the IMF under the rapid finance instrument will help address these pressures, it said. The IMF added that the cyclone devastation hit when the Fifth Review of Sri Lanka's USD 2.9 billion bailout was nearing completion. Given the time needed to assess the economic impact of the cyclone and examine how an IMF-supported programme can best support Sri Lanka's recovery and reconstruction efforts while
A field hospital set up by India in cyclone-hit Sri Lanka wound up operations after the successful completion of its mission, the Indian High Commission here has said. As part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, a full-fledged para field hospital along with a 78-member Integrated Task Force of the Indian Army's Shatrujeet Brigade was airlifted to Sri Lanka on December 2 and deployed at Mahiyanganaya, near Kandy, to meet urgent medical requirements, the mission said in a press release on Sunday. The facility catered to around 1,000 to 1,200 patients daily, it said, adding that the hospital provided critical lifesaving medical care, including trauma management surgeries. "Over the course of its operation, the hospital achieved remarkable outcomes, treating a total of 7,176 patients, performing 513 minor procedures, and conducting 14 major surgeries, bringing relief and comfort to patients in one of the most affected areas, the release said. Following the successful completion of its mission,
Sri Lanka's Deputy Finance Minister on Wednesday said it could take six months to complete the estimate required to recover and reconstruct the damage the island nation has faced post-Cyclone Ditwah. However, a rough estimate could be presented after December 15. The work is being handled by the 'Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund' constituted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the immediate aftermath of the devastation. The fund management committee, comprising public and private sector representatives, including corporate leaders, is entrusted with the task of assessing requirements, setting priorities, allocating resources and disbursing funds for recovery. Multiple countries, including India and Sri Lankan expatriates, have continued to make contributions to the Fund, Anil Jayantha Fernando was quoted by the Mawbima newspaper here. He added that the government has requested USD 200 million from the IMF, and the government's initial estimate of the need for recovery would be between U
A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday. Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity. At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16. Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5. The hospital has also
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday said his government has been able to restore public life to normalcy within a very short period after Cyclone Ditwah devastated the island nation and took over 600 lives. Dissanayake's claim came a day after he announced a massive relief package to all those affected by Cyclone Ditwah and requested the IMF for an additional USD 200 million to meet excess expenditure to cope up with the disaster. The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Colombo office on Saturday said the request would be considered at the global lender's executive board on December 15. The island nation has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse following Cyclone Ditwah, which has also acutely strained the country's disaster-response capacity. As many as 611 people had died and over 200 remained missing even as search operations for those buried under landslides continued a week after the cyclone struck the ...
India has airlifted a movable modular bridge system and hundreds of water-purification units to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka as part of its ongoing humanitarian support to reconnect isolated communities and restore essential services in the island nation, the Indian mission here said on Thursday. Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity. At least 479 people have been killed and 350 are missing as of Wednesday evening due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16. A C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force flew in the Bailey Bridge system along with 500 water purification units on Wednesday, following a request from Colombo, the Indian High Commission said in a statement. The massive structure can be installed within a few hours to repl
Parts of Asia were reeling after torrents of rain unleashed catastrophic floods and landslides last week, killing more than 1,400 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. The disaster has also laid bare stark economic disparities in the region. Indonesia has borne the heaviest blow, recording at least 753 deaths, followed by Sri Lanka with 465. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said it's too early to determine the exact number of dead in his country. At least 185 people in Thailand and three in Malaysia have also been confirmed dead. Rescue teams on Wednesday were racing against time to reach isolated communities, as more than 1,000 remain missing and as villages lie buried under mud and debris amid ongoing power and telecommunications outages. Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto visited a disaster zone Monday, promising aid and support for rebuilding though he has yet to declare a national emergency or sought international assistance like his counterpar
Sri Lanka's total economic loss from Cyclone Ditwah is estimated to be between USD 6 billion and 7 billion, which is roughly 3-5 per cent of the island nation's GDP, a senior official overseeing recovery efforts said on Wednesday. At least 465 people died so far, and 366 remain missing as Sri Lanka grapples with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity. "Given that all 25 districts are affected, we estimate the cost would be USD 6-7 billion," Prabath Chandrakirthi, Commissioner General of Essential Services, told reporters here. Over 1.4 million people have been affected, with more than 233,000 sheltering in 1,441 relief centres. Chandrakirthi said new legal provisions would be required to speed up post-disaster procedures. "For example, under current laws, death certificates can only be issued after six months. We have to bring in new laws to reduce this .
India has sent a mobile field hospital and over 70 medical personnel to Sri Lanka as part of its continuing humanitarian assistance following the devastating floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, the Indian mission here said on Wednesday. Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity. As of Tuesday, 465 people have been killed, with 366 missing, in catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16. The Indian High Commission in a social media post said India has sent a "rapidly deployable field hospital" along with over 70 medical personnel to provide urgently required healthcare support in disaster-affected areas. Citing a social media post by PRO Defence Jammu, it said an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft airlifted the para field hospital, along with equipment and 73
Emergency crews raced to reach survivors and recover more bodies Tuesday after the death toll from last week's catastrophic floods and landslides surged past 1,200 in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, with more than 800 people missing. Days of heavy monsoon rains inundated vast areas, leaving thousands stranded and many clinging to rooftops waiting for help. The flooding and landslides killed at least 1,230 people, with 659 people confirmed dead in Indonesia, 390 in Sri Lanka and 181 in Thailand, authorities said Tuesday. In Indonesia, the hardest-hit nation, rescuers are struggling to access villages in Sumatra island, where roads have been washed out and bridges have collapsed. At least 475 people remain missing, according to the country's National Disaster Management Agency. Helicopters and boats have been deployed, but officials warn that worsening weather and damaged infrastructure are slowing operations. Military-led rescue teams in Sri Lanka continue to scour devastated ar
India on Monday expeditiously heeded to Pakistan's request to use Indian airspace to send humanitarian assistance to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka, people familiar with the matter said. They also described as "fake" reports in the Pakistani media that India has not granted overflight facility to Pakistan to send aid to Sri Lanka. The official request for overflight was submitted by Pakistan at around 1300 hours (Indian time) on Monday seeking permission to fly over Indian airspace, the people said. Given the fact that the request pertained to humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, India expeditiously cleared the request and intimated the same to Pakistan at 1730 hours (Indian time) on Monday through official channels, they said. It was processed at the shortest notice period of four hours, they added. This gesture from India despite Pakistan having banned its airspace for Indian airlines was considered purely on humanitarian grounds, the people said. "Pakistani media, as usual, is indulgi
Nepal has extended an economic aid of USD 200,000 for relief and rescue operations in flood-hit Sri Lanka, underlining that it stands firmly with the island nation in this difficult time. Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity. As of Sunday, 334 people have been killed, with 370 missing, in catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16. "As a gesture of solidarity, the Government of Nepal has decided to extend an assistance of USD 2,00,000 for the relief and recovery operations," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release on Sunday. Acknowledging the close bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, the ministry said Kathmandu stands firmly with Colombo in this difficult time. "The Government of Nepal offers its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families