Bangladesh to send relief, rescue team to Sri Lanka

Bangladesh will dispatch emergency relief supplies and a rescue team to disaster-stricken Sri Lanka on December 3, subject to weather conditions, following the directive of the Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus amid severe floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditva.

The humanitarian mission will be carried out using two special Bangladesh Air Force aircraft, transporting essential relief materials and a dedicated rescue unit, said a foreign ministry’s press release here.  

The Chief Adviser’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ministry of Health, Armed Forces Division, BGMEA and Essential Drugs Company Ltd. are jointly coordinating the deployment.

Sri Lanka has been devastated by sudden flash floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditva, which has so far claimed 355 lives, while at least 366 people remain missing. 

More than 20,000 homes have been damaged, and nearly 210,000 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters. 

The Sri Lankan government has declared a state of emergency and appealed to the international community for urgent support.

Bangladesh, the release said, has repeatedly responded swiftly to humanitarian crises in South Asia, extending aid to neighbouring countries during natural disasters and emergencies.