India provides aid for Cyclone Ditwah victims in Sri Lanka

The two warships delivered 6.5 tonnes of rations and other essential relief items to assist families affected by the cyclone

Updated on: Nov 28, 2025, 18:47:36 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

India on Friday handed over food items and essential relief supplies to help victims of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and pledged more assistance to help those affected by the natural disaster.

Sri Lanka deployed its military on Friday to carry out rescue and relief operations after floods and landslides across the island killed 56 people, with another 21 reported missing. The country, currently in its northeast monsoon season, has seen intensified rainfall due to Cyclone Ditwah, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. People move through a flooded road after heavy rainfall in Kaduwela on the outskirts of Colombo on November 28, 2025. (AFP)

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains this week left 56 people dead and 21 missing in Sri Lanka – one of the worst weather-related disasters experienced by the country in recent years. Cyclone Ditwah hit the country’s eastern coast on Friday, bringing more rains.

“My heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Ditwah. I pray for the safety, comfort and swift recovery of all affected families,” Modi said on social media.

“In solidarity with our closest maritime neighbour, India has urgently dispatched relief materials and vital HADR support under Operation Sagar Bandhu. We stand ready to provide more aid and assistance as the situation evolves,” he said. “Guided by India’s Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, India continues to stand firmly with Sri Lanka in its hour of need.”

The Indian warships INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri, which were in Colombo for an international fleet review hosted by the Sri Lankan Navy, handed over relief materials, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said.

The two warships delivered 6.5 tonnes of rations and other essential relief items to assist families affected by the cyclone, the Indian high commission in Colombo said. “In this challenging moment, India stands firmly with the people of Sri Lanka, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the Neighbourhood First policy,” the mission said on social media.

The assistance to Sri Lanka was in keeping with India’s growing reputation as a first responder in natural disasters and a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region.

As the water level of several rivers continued to rise in Sri Lanka, the Disaster Management Centre warned people of low-lying areas to move to higher ground. A red level flood warning was issued for low-lying areas of the Kelani River valley.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.