- Pakistan PM speaks to President Dissanayake
- Apple, Dawoodi Bohra community, Australia, Bangladesh, Britain, China, Cuba, EU, India, Japan, Maldives, Nicaragua, Palestine, Switzerland, Türkey, UAE, US, UNICEF and WHO contribute
- Provide fin./humanitarian assistance including relief, essential supplies, rescues/evacuations/extractions, medical assistance (hosps., ambulances, trauma care units, op. theatres, vehicles, personnel, medicinal drugs), polysacks, generators, tents, water bins, blankets, food packets, bottled water, mattresses, cooking utensils, sanitary items, canned tuna, water purification, sanitary pads, baby diapers/wipes, tissue paper, soft cotton towels, disinfectant hand sanitizer
The British Government has reaffirmed its support to the recovery efforts in Sri Lanka following the devastating landslides and floods in recent days. The Government has already provided assistance of Pounds 675,000 to Sri Lanka’s rescue and relief efforts. British Parliamentarian and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sri Lanka, Andrew Snowden stated that he met with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Nimal Senadheera, to discuss relief and rescue operations following Cyclone Ditwah. “I offered our cross-party support,” he said in a post on the social media platform X. During the meeting, discussions also focused on the £ 675,000 that the UK Government is committing to emergency relief, as well as the long-term requirements for rebuilding and repairing affected areas. He described the impact of Ditwah as distressing, noting that it has caused widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and hospitals. “The APPG will work with the Sri Lankan High Commission and the UK Government to ensure that all assistance that can be offered, is done so as quickly as possible,” he added.
India continues to expand its humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu, with extensive air, sea, and ground operations delivering urgent relief to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah. The relief consignment brought to Trincomalee on Monday (01) by the Indian Naval Service (INS) Sukanya was transported by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) to several severely impacted areas across the Eastern Province, ensuring that essential supplies reached families isolated by flooding and landslides. Indian rescue teams continued large-scale life-saving evacuations across multiple Districts, bringing vulnerable residents from remote and inaccessible areas to safety. In Puttalam, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel rescued individuals in distress - including expectant mothers and those requiring immediate medical attention - and delivered essential supplies to nearly 800 stranded people through difficult, door-to-door operations. Across the Central region, Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters carried out critical missions, air-dropping more than 5.5 tonnes of relief material and conducting high-risk extractions from locations where landing was impossible. Several severely injured survivors were winched up from a remote area near Ganthuna and flown to Rivisanda for emergency treatment. In close coordination with the SLAF, the IAF IFC 1885 flew essential relief to Poramadulla and transported personnel from Nuwara Eliya to support ongoing response efforts. The IAF IFC 1875 helicopter further intensified these operations by airlifting more than 2,000 kilograms of essential goods to Mandaram Nuwara and evacuating people in urgent need of medical care. In Kotmale, 24 individuals - including women and children - were safely rescued and transported to Colombo. On Tuesday (02), IAF helicopters airlifted more than eight tonnes of relief material, and evacuated 65 stranded persons including children, pregnant women and those critically ill. Citizens of Germany and Australia were among those evacuated. Those most at risk were relocated swiftly to secure locations and hospitals. At Sedawatta near Colombo, NDRF teams are conducting meticulous door-to-door evacuations and distributing essential relief in heavily inundated areas around Nadeegama on the banks of the Kelani River, where floodwaters have risen up to six to eight feet. A total of 52 persons were evacuated from there. The NDRF team in Badulla continues search operations in landfall areas. One deceased person was recovered after complex excavation operations. In a major reinforcement of medical assistance, the IAF C17 Globemaster transport aircraft brought in a rapidly deployable, self-contained modular, field hospital, complete with ambulances, trauma care units, operation theatres, vehicles, etc., to Sri Lanka, along with 73 medical personnel. The field hospital was handed over to the Sri Lankan side. The field hospital will be deployed to cater to urgent medical requirements in flood-hit and landslide hit areas. Relief efforts continue around the clock-on the ground, at sea, and in the skies - ensuring that help reaches where it is needed most. INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri, which were on port calls, officially handed over flood relief materials in Colombo on 28 November of this year (2025).
The US strengthened its humanitarian contribution with the delivery of 20,000 polysacks to reinforce embankments, alongside generators, tents, water bins, cooking stoves and additional aid through the World Food Programme. Two C-130 aircraft transporting additional relief teams and materials are scheduled to arrive today (04).
Australia pledged Dollars one million for immediate response and early recovery efforts.
Nepal donated US Dollars ($) 200,000.
The Pakistani Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, during a telephone conversation with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday, commended the swift response of the Sri Lankan authorities, the military, and rescue teams in conducting relief operations under challenging conditions following the catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands across the island. He also reaffirmed that Pakistan stands in full solidarity with Sri Lanka during this difficult time. In a post on X, he stated, “As a neighbour and brotherly country, Pakistan has always stood in full solidarity with Sri Lanka, especially in moments of grief.” He also informed that Pakistan is immediately dispatching urgently needed humanitarian assistance to help the people of Sri Lanka recover from the devastation caused by this natural disaster. Additionally, the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Pakistan stated in a post on X that Pakistan dispatched 200 tons of humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka via sea cargo to support relief efforts following the devastating Ditwah. Pakistan delivered substantial relief items through the Pakistan Naval Service Ship Saif and further consignments including a C-130 aircraft carrying rescue personnel are expected in the coming days.
Japan has provided emergency relief goods including tents and blankets through the Japan International Cooperation Agency. An emergency medical team of four members arrived on 30 November to assess medical needs and coordinate the possible deployment of a Japan disaster relief team. Japan has also donated essential medical supplies, including Ketamine, Diazepam and Midazolam.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force C-17 Globemaster carrying emergency supplies landed on Tuesday. The humanitarian relief cargo includes 1,116 food packets, each capable of sustaining a family for 10 days, alongside 336 relief and aid bags containing bottled water, tents, blankets, mattresses, cooking utensils and sanitary items. On Monday (01), the first consignment of relief supplies arrived in the country.
The Maldives contributed $ 50,000 and 25,000 cases of canned tuna, while Sri Lankan expatriates in the Maldives mobilised $ 33,000 in additional support.
Switzerland will deploy a specialised rescue team to arrive tomorrow (05) to assist with water purification, sanitation and hygiene.
The women’s and child sanitary products donated by the All-China Women’s Federation will be distributed to those affected by floods and landslides, under the leadership of the Women and Child Affairs Ministry, and through the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus. On 25 November, the Federation donated a stock of goods valued at Yuan 1,000,000 (approximately Rs. 43 million). These items included women’s sanitary products. Accordingly, as part of this donation, sanitary pads, baby diapers, baby wipes, tissue paper, soft cotton towels, and disinfectant hand sanitizer, among other women’s and child sanitary products, have been allocated for distribution to those affected by the disaster situation.
Pledges of support have been extended by China, Türkiye, Cuba, Bangladesh, the European Union (EU), the State of Palestine, Nicaragua and other partner nations and diplomatic missions. Many additional countries and international agencies have pledged assistance that is due to arrive in the coming days.
Elsewhere, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has deployed assistance to provide portable water supplies to 25 relief centres in Badulla. The UN in Sri Lanka continues to coordinate closely with national authorities to support rescue, relief and early recovery efforts. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided emergency funding of $ 175,000 to support essential health services as the country faces rapidly worsening conditions triggered by the cyclonic storm “Ditwah”. “The funds will be used for rapid response teams to support essential health services for the affected communities, and for strengthening health information management and surveillance, key for the timely detection of disease outbreaks to facilitate the appropriate response,” said the WHO Representative designate to Sri Lanka, Dr. Rajesh Pandav. The WHO said that its funding, partly from the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund, will support operational costs for mobilising and deploying rapid response medical and public health teams. These teams will deliver trauma and first aid on site, refer people for hospital care and attend to pregnant women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups. The teams will also conduct medical stocktaking and assess medical needs, water quality, sanitation, food safety and environmental health risks. As the lead agency for the health sector response, the WHO said that it is supporting a joint rapid needs assessment rolled out by the national authorities and partners to guide the Government-led effort. WHO teams have been working closely with officials and humanitarian agencies since the disaster struck. The continuity of essential services, strengthened surveillance for the timely detection of any water or vector-borne disease outbreaks and mobilising all available resources remain central to the WHO’s response. “The WHO remains fully committed to supporting the national response and safeguarding the health and well-being of all the affected communities.”
The Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has announced the Company will make donations to relief and rebuilding efforts in Sri Lanka that was hit by floods, landslides and strong winds in recent days. Cook noted that storms across Sri Lanka have devastated communities. Accordingly, Apple has pledged to help with relief efforts with an unspecified amount that will go towards relief and building efforts. Apple also has an internal donation program called Employee Giving, which has raised more than $ 880 million to date through a donation matching policy.
The Sri Lanka Dawoodi Bohra community has made a financial donation of Rs. 10 million to assist the Government’s relief programme for the people affected by the adverse weather conditions in the country. The cheque was handed over to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, by the Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Dawoodi Bohra Community, Ibrahim Jaffer Zaini, on behalf of the Leader of the Worldwide Bohra Community, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday. Representatives of the Bohra community stated that they will continue to support the Government’s efforts to rescue and provide relief to the affected communities.
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on 28 November, causing unprecedented flooding, landslides and extensive infrastructure damage. Multiple casualties, widespread displacement and major disruption to essential services and livelihoods have been reported nationwide. President Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency in the wake of the cyclone, which has affected all 25 Districts. The Government has also requested international humanitarian and early recovery assistance, as well as continued support from UN agencies and international organisations. Sri Lanka has also sought multi-sectoral international assistance in areas including food security, livelihoods, agriculture, nutrition, education, water, sanitation, shelter, and early recovery and rehabilitation interventions. Sri Lanka continues to receive extensive international humanitarian support in response to the devastation caused by Ditwah, which has resulted in significant loss of life, widespread destruction and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Nations and international organisations have also deployed emergency relief as recovery operations intensify. International coordination remains critical as affected communities begin the process of rebuilding homes, livelihoods and essential infrastructure.