Pakistan sends 200 tons of aid by sea to flood-hit Sri Lanka

• Move comes after Islamabad said India denied airspace clearance to a Pakistani plane carrying relief goods
• Cyclone Ditwah triggered floods, landslides that have killed over 400 Sri Lankans, with 336 still missing

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dispatched 200 tons of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka by sea after floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah killed more than 400 people in the tropical island nation, the Pakistani foreign office said on Tuesday.

The move comes after Islamabad said India created hurdles in the aid dispatch by denying airspace clearance and as a result, a special aircraft carrying the goods was held up for over 60 hours. New Delhi dismissed the statement as “anti-India misinformation.”

Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka in late November, triggering severe floods and landslides across the country.

Authorities described the disaster as the worst flooding in decades that has killed at least 410 people, with 336 still missing. It also displaced thousands and caused widespread damage to homes, roads, and infrastructure.

“Pakistan dispatched 200 tons of humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka via sea cargo to support relief efforts following the devastating cyclone Ditwah,” the foreign office said, expressing solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka.

It said a send-off ceremony was held in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, which was attended by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Rear Admiral (retd) Fred Senevirathne, Pakistan’s State Minister for Finance, Bilal Azhar Kayani, as well as senior officials from the foreign ministry and the National Disaster Management Authority.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka share friendly ties, cooperating in trade, defense, education, culture and sports, particularly cricket. A Pakistan Navy ship has also been participating in rescue operations in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan has also been reeling from floods this year that killed more than 1,000 people and affected around 3.6 million across the most vulnerable country to climate change, where scientists say rising temperatures are making South Asian monsoon rains heavier and more erratic.