KARACHI: Pakistan’s navy said on Sunday it was assisting Sri Lankan authorities in relief operations after deadly floods and landslides, with a helicopter crew airlifting food and emergency supplies to families stranded in marooned areas.
The statement came as the death toll from floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose sharply to 334 on Sunday, with many more Sri Lankans still missing.
This is the worst natural disaster to hit the island nation in two decades and officials say the extent of damage was only just being revealed as relief workers clear roads blocked by fallen trees and mudslides.
Pakistan Navy ship, ‘Saif,’ which was on a port call at Colombo for participation in an international fleet review, is currently undertaking relief operations for local populace.
“On second day of relief efforts, the ship’s embarked Z9EC helicopter undertook multiple missions over severely flood-affected areas in Colombo and its surrounding regions,” the navy’s Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) said in a statement.
“Operating in close coordination with Sri Lankan authorities, the helicopter delivered essential food items and emergency supplies to stranded families in inundated residential zones inaccessible by road.”
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who declared a state of emergency to deal with the disaster, has vowed to build back with international support.
“We are facing the largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history,” he said in an address to the nation. “Certainly, we will build a better nation than what existed before.”
The losses and damage are the worst since the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami that killed around 31,000 people and left more than a million homeless.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will dispatch 100 tons of essential relief items and an urban search and rescue team (USAR) for the people of Sri Lanka as it grapples with the destruction, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
“PNS Saif, while on overseas deployment to Sri Lanka, will continue the relief efforts in coming days to support and provide aid to Sri Lankan populace during their time of need,” the DGPR added.
