Pakistan has intensified humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka following the severe storm that caused widespread devastation across the island.

Responding to a request from the Sri Lankan government, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif ordered the deployment of a 47-member Pakistan Army search and rescue team, along with 6.5 tons of equipment, sent early this morning on a Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft.

At the departure ceremony, attended by Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, NDMA Chairman Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik, and Sri Lankan High Commissioner Rear Admiral Fred Senevirathne, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to regional disaster response. Sri Lanka expressed deep gratitude for the timely support.

Pakistan has also dispatched 200 tons of relief items by sea and additional supplies via Sri Lankan Airlines flights. 

The aid includes tents, blankets, life jackets, inflatable boats, de-watering pumps, essential medicines, and ready-to-eat food. 

Pakistan Navy ships and helicopters are already assisting operations, while temporary bridges from the Pakistan Army are being sent to restore access in damaged areas.

Prime Minister Sharif has also reached out to other cyclone-affected countries and pledged Pakistan’s continued support to Sri Lanka during the recovery effort.