Pakistan sends urban search, rescue team to assist cyclone-hit Sri Lanka
• 200 tonnes of relief goods shipped to country
• PM also conveys condolences, solidarity to Indonesian president
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dispatched an urban search and rescue team to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka, where severe flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have claimed more than 400 lives.
A Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying a 47-member team, along with 6.5 tonnes of essential equipment, departed to participate in humanitarian and rescue efforts, according to state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.
Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad on Wednesday morning to see off the aid consignment, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik said Pakistan and its government stood in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. The NDMA chairman added that PM Shehbaz Sharif and COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir had directed “full-out support” for those affected by the cyclone.
“Pakistan has committed all-out support since Nov 28, when the cyclone struck Sri Lanka,” he said.
He noted that a Pakistan Navy ship already in the area was immediately tasked with assisting the Sri Lankan government and evacuating people stranded due to the rains.
Relief goods
The NDMA has shipped 200 tonnes of relief goods to Sri Lanka and is prepared to send additional supplies on Sri Lankan Airlines flights operating between Colombo and Lahore.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also spoke at the press conference, extending his “deepest condolences” to Sri Lanka.
He added that another aid consignment would be sent from Lahore, where Sri Lankan aircraft were scheduled to arrive, and that an additional consignment would be dispatched from Karachi.
Solidarity with Indonesia
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz has conveyed Pakistan’s deep condolences and solidarity to Indonesia following the recent floods and landslides that caused significant loss of life and destruction, particularly in Sumatra, according to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
During a telephonic conversation with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, the prime minister extended heartfelt sympathy on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, calling the devastation a tragic human loss that Pakistan deeply mourned, it added.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support, Prime Minister Shehbaz assured President Prabowo that Pakistan stood ready to provide all possible relief and humanitarian assistance.
Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2025