ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani rescue team arrived in Colombo on Wednesday to assist Sri Lanka, where severe flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have claimed more than 400 lives.
Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying a 47-member team along with 6.5 tons of essential equipment arrived in the South Asian nation.
The team was dispatched to Sri Lanka under the special instructions of the Prime Minister to assist the victims of the recent floods.
Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka in late November, triggering severe floods and landslides across the country. Authorities described the disaster as the worst flooding in decades and said it has killed at least 465 people, with 336 still missing.
The High Commissioner of Pakistan, Major General Faheem Al-Aziz, along with the Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Ports, received the Pakistani rescue team at the airport.
The Pakistani ambassador assured the special team of full support on behalf of the Government of Pakistan and met with all members of the delegation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who chaired a high-level meeting on Sri Lanka’s relief requirements, said Pakistan would also assist in rehabilitation after the search-and-rescue phase.
In a phone call with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, he expressed sorrow over the scale of destruction and pledged continued support. Colombo thanked Islamabad for being among the first countries to respond.
On Tuesday, Pakistan dispatched 200 tons of humanitarian aid to the island nation by sea, after Islamabad reported that India had denied airspace clearance for a special Pakistani flight carrying relief supplies for over 60 hours.
Pakistan Navy ships and helicopters have already been taking part in rescue operations in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka share warm, long-standing bilateral ties built on mutual respect, historical linkages — including a shared Buddhist heritage — and broad cooperation across political, defence, trade, and cultural sectors.
The two nations marked 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2023, having first established formal ties in 1948.
