India is aiding Sri Lanka’s flood relief efforts, sending an IAF C-17 with a field hospital and over 70 personnel. This assistance, part of ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu,’ aims to support the response to devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
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 & support personnel, and vehicles, landed in Colombo. India continues to aid Sri Lanka efforts at flood relief.” An @IAF_MCC C-17 transport aircraft with a self-contained, modular field hospital, over 70 medical & support personnel, and vehicles, landed in Colombo. ЁЯЗоЁЯЗ│ continues to aid ЁЯЗ▒ЁЯЗ░ efforts at flood relief.#OperationSagarBandhu pic.twitter.com/x7YbP4n2Y3 тАФ Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 2, 2025
Operation Sagar Bandhu
The assistance forms part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, under which an Indian Air Force helicopter on Tuesday delivered critical aid to Poramadulla in Kandy district and airlifted responders from Nuwara Eliya to boost ongoing operations following Cyclone Ditwah.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said on X, “Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, Indian Air Force IFC 1885 flew essential relief to Poramadulla and transported personnel from Nuwara Eliya to support ongoing response efforts — strengthening ground capabilities where help is needed most.”
Expanding on the relief efforts, the IAF’s C-17 Globemaster also transported a Para Field Hospital with equipment and 73 medical personnel from Agra, landing in Colombo at 5.45 PM IST on Tuesday to assist relief teams on the ground. Meanwhile, IAF Mi-17 helicopters continued their missions, transporting over eight tonnes of relief supplies and evacuating 65 people, including foreign nationals, critically ill patients and a pregnant woman.
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.
Cyclone Ditwah’s Devastating Impact
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.
On-the-Ground Rescue Efforts
Amid these ongoing operations, India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, inspected National Disaster Response Force rescue efforts at Sedawatta near Colombo on Tuesday.
The High Commission posted on X, “High Commissioner Santosh Jha reviewed the NDRF rescue operations happening at Sedawatta near Colombo, today. NDRF teams are going door-to-door for evacuation and distribution of essentials relief to inundated areas around Nadeegama, on the banks of Kelani river, at this site. HC also interacted with some locals in the area. Some areas at this site are under 6 to 8 feet of water.” (ANI)
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