Bangladesh to send relief and rescue team to Sri Lanka after cyclone and floods

Bangladesh has decided to send humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, where severe flooding and landslides triggered by a cyclone have caused widespread devastation. Weather permitting, relief supplies and a rescue team will be dispatched on 3 December.

According to an official government information release issued on Monday (1 December), two special aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force will carry the emergency assistance to Sri Lanka.

The release further stated that the Office of the Chief Adviser, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the Ministry of Health, the Armed Forces Division, the BGMEA and Essential Drugs Company Limited are jointly coordinating the initiative.

It was noted that the impact of Cyclone Ditwa has so far resulted in the deaths of 355 people in Sri Lanka, while at least 366 individuals remain missing. More than 20,000 houses have been damaged, and around 210,000 people have been relocated to temporary shelters.

In response to the crisis, Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency and appealed to the international community for assistance.

Khaborwala/SS