Big relief for Sri Lanka! India promises USD 450 million reconstruction package after cyclone destruction

Jaishankar, who was on a two-day visit to the island nation, said in remarks made alongside Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath: "The Letter from Prime Minister Modi that I handed over builds on our First Responder role and commits a reconstruction package of USD 450 million to Sri Lanka. Our talks centred around how expeditiously this commitment can be delivered."

"As your closest neighbour and in line with our Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR policies, it was only natural that India step forward at a time when Sri Lanka faced a crisis. We have done so when you were going through economic difficulties as well. In the case of Cyclone Ditwah, you would appreciate that India has also been a strong advocate of cooperative disaster response. The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure was a notable initiative that we led in that regard," he said.

Sharing details about Operation Sagar Bandhu, Jaishankar said: "India’s relief and assistance mission - Operation Sagar Bandhu - commenced on the very day that Cyclone Ditwah made landfall. Our Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant and another ship INS Udayagiri were present at Colombo and delivered relief material and thereafter also deployed helicopters. Thereafter, a number of Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Airforce were active for a period of more than two weeks in Sri Lanka."

He said: "An 80-member National Disaster Response Force contingent arrived simultaneously and conducted rescue and relief operations. The Indian Army set up a field hospital with 85 medical personnel near Kandy, giving emergency care to more than 8000 people. Two modular BHISHM emergency care units were also air lifted to Sri Lanka and utilized."

Operation Sagar Bandhu

In the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, which has caused severe flooding, loss of life and widespread disruption across Sri Lanka, India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu on November 28 to provide urgent Search & Rescue and Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) support to our closest maritime neighbour.

Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on 28 November before moving back over the Bay of Bengal, triggering some of the most severe flooding Sri Lanka has seen since the early 2000s.

The hardest-hit districts include Gampaha, Colombo, Puttalam and Mannar, as well as Trincomalee and Batticaloa, while deadly landslides in the central hill country have devastated Kandy, Badulla and Matale.