ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced on Thursday that it has dispatched an additional 200 tons of humanitarian relief supplies to Sri Lanka, scheduled to arrive in the cyclone-affected country on December 13.
Pakistan’s Maritime Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the decision was made following his meetings with Sri Lankan leadership in Colombo and an on-ground assessment of the situation.
The minister visited Sri Lanka on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to express Pakistan’s solidarity in the aftermath of Cyclonic Ditwah.
“The consignment includes tents, blankets, quilts, mosquito nets, camping lamps, mats, life jackets, inflatable boats, dewatering pumps, medicines, milk powder, and ready-to-use therapeutic food,” the minister added.
He said Pakistan remained committed to supporting Sri Lanka in recovering from the humanitarian and infrastructural damage.
The Pakistani Search and Rescue Team is actively engaged across flood and landslide-affected regions of Sri Lanka, working shoulder-to-shoulder with local armed forces and disaster management authorities. @ndmapk @GovtofPakistan @SriLankaTweet pic.twitter.com/LZj0LOLFtd
— Pakistan High Commission Sri Lanka (@PakinSriLanka) December 11, 2025
During his separate meetings on Wednesday with Sri Lankan Deputy Speaker Mohomed Risvi Sali and Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake in Colombo, Chaudhry conveyed a message of solidarity from Pakistan’s prime minister.
He emphasised that Islamabad is deeply concerned about the scale of human and material losses caused by the cyclone.
“Pakistan considers Sri Lanka not only a long-standing friend but a key regional partner, and will continue to support the country through every stage of recovery as it works to restore normalcy for affected communities”, the minister added.
A series of tropical storms and monsoonal rains has battered Southeast and South Asia, triggering landslides, inundating vast areas, and cutting off communities from the rainforests of Sumatra to the highland plantations of Sri Lanka.
Over the past two weeks, at least 1,812 people have lost their lives as natural disasters swept through Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In Sri Lanka alone, more than two million people — nearly 10 percent of the population — have been affected by the floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the most devastating storm to hit the island this century.
According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), ongoing monsoon storms continue to add rainfall and destabilize hillsides, particularly in the central mountains and the northwestern midlands.
Since the onset of the cyclone emergency, Pakistan has remained actively involved in providing essential relief items and technical support to Sri Lanka.
On December 2, Pakistan dispatched 200 tons of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, following directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and with support from the Chief of Army Staff.
A dedicated Pakistan Army search-and-rescue team is already on the ground, carrying out life-saving operations and assisting local authorities.
Additionally, Pakistan Navy ships and helicopters had supported relief and evacuation efforts in close coordination with their Sri Lankan counterparts.
On December 4, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) dispatched an additional 80 tons of essential relief goods from Lahore to Colombo via SriLankan Airlines.
The shipment included critical items such as tarpaulins, dry milk, and other emergency supplies designed to meet the immediate needs of affected families.
