Pakistan has dispatched an urban search and rescue team to Sri Lanka following Cyclone Ditwah, which has caused severe flooding and landslides, killing over 400 people. A Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying 47 team members and 6.5 tons of essential equipment left Islamabad on Wednesday to assist in relief efforts.
NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik said the team is “very competent” and will remain in the field as long as required. He highlighted Pakistan’s full support, directed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and noted that 200 tons of cargo aid had already been dispatched from Karachi.
Read more: President praises PN relief operation in flood–hit Sri Lanka
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry extended Pakistan’s condolences and said additional aid consignments would be sent from Lahore and Karachi. The Sri Lankan ambassador attended the ceremony, where officials assured Pakistan’s commitment to help “in every possible way.”
The development follows reports that India delayed clearance for Pakistan’s C-130 aircraft, forcing some aid to be sent via sea. Despite these obstacles, Pakistan Navy ship Saif and its helicopter have already rescued stranded families and supported relief operations in affected areas.
Relief items are being dispatched to Sri Lanka’s flood victims on the instructions of *Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif*. Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry talks to media pic.twitter.com/lhLz9xM7m5
— Dr. Tariq Fazal Ch. (@DrTariqFazal) December 3, 2025
Read more: Cyclone Ditwah death toll rises to 355 in Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting to review relief activities, assuring full support for ongoing operations and rehabilitation efforts in Sri Lanka. He also spoke with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, offering condolences and expressing Pakistan’s solidarity with the affected people.