Operation Sagar Bandhu: Indian Army contingent lands in Sri Lanka for humanitarian assistance

COLOMBO: A special contingent of the Indian Army arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday so as to undertake humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the island country.

India launched ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’ to aid Sri Lanka following the devastation triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. Swinging into swift action, India has helped its neighbour with HADR operations, rescue, and relief efforts to provide aid and assistance to the country.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday stated that India is continuing to support Sri Lanka’s flood relief efforts. An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft carrying medical teams and equipment arrived in Colombo. In a post on X, he said, “An IAF C-17 transport aircraft with a self-contained, modular field hospital, over 70 medical and support personnel, and vehicles, landed in Colombo. India continues to aid Sri Lanka’s efforts at flood relief.”

According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, India has sent two rapidly deployable Field Hospitals to Sri Lanka, together with around 70 personnel to deliver medical support in affected regions as rescue and relief work intensifies.

Reports from Sri Lanka stated that the death toll from severe weather linked to Cyclone Ditwah has climbed to 410. Local media, citing the Disaster Management Centre, said 1.4 million residents from 407,594 families have been impacted, as floods, landslides and heavy rains continue across the island.

Earlier, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Mahishini Colonne greatly appreciated India’s role as the first responder- cutting across the various challenges which Sri Lanka faced from the tsunami, economic crisis to the devastation caused by the cyclone.

High Commissioner Colonne said, “The extent of damage in Sri Lanka, as a result of the cyclone is extensive. Over 400 people have lost their lives. We are still in the relief and rescue phase. It will take some time to do a comprehensive assessment of the extent of damage. We are grateful to India, for being the first responder as India has always been. India came to our assistance during Tsunami, during the economic crisis and now during the cyclone India was the first country to come to our assistance. They have been carrying out relief and rescue operations. There are medical teams on the ground, mobile hospitals on the ground and even as we speak, they are helping us and working with Sri Lankan officials to help Sri Lanka go through this difficult phase and we are hopeful and confident that Sri Lanka and India will continue to work together closely and that this disaster will help our two countries bond and become even closer.”

The scale and speed of these missions underscore India’s steadfast commitment to assisting Sri Lanka in its hour of need. Based on India’s Neighbourhood First policy and the MAHASAGAR outlook, the country continues to act as a first responder in crises and a net security provider in the region. (ANI)