India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday visited Sri Lanka as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special envoy and met with Sri Lankan leadership. Jaishankar announced $450 million as a reconstruction package to the island nation and assured India's steadfast commitment to Sri Lanka's rebuilding post-Cyclone Ditwah.
The external affairs minister is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka to hold talks with the Sri Lankan leadership and assess the situation in the country post-Cyclone Ditwah. His visit underscores India's Neighbourhood First Policy in the context of Operation Sagar Bandhu, which was launched to address the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
"As your closest neighbour and in line with our Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR policies, it was only natural that India step forward at a time when Sri Lanka faced a crisis. We have done so when you were going through economic difficulties as well. In the case of Cyclone Ditwah, you would appreciate that India has also been a strong advocate of cooperative disaster response. The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure was a notable initiative that we led in that regard," Jaishankar informed the media after meeting President Dissanayake.
Stating that he had a cordial meeting with President Dissanayake, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said, "The letter from Prime Minister Modi that I handed over builds on our First Responder role and commits a reconstruction package of $450 million to Sri Lanka. Our talks centred around how expeditiously this commitment can be delivered."
The assistance package proposed by India includes $350 million in concessional Lines of Credit and $100 million in grants. This package is being finalised in close consultations with the government of Sri Lanka.
India’s relief and assistance mission - Operation Sagar Bandhu - commenced immediately after Cyclone Ditwah wreaked havoc and made landfall. India's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and another ship, INS Udaygiri, were present at Colombo and delivered relief material. India also deployed helicopters - including Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force, which were active for a period of more than two weeks in Sri Lanka.
An 80-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) contingent arrived simultaneously and conducted rescue and relief operations. The Indian Army set up a field hospital with 85 medical personnel near Kandy, giving emergency care to more than 8,000 people. Two modular BHISHM emergency care units were also airlifted to Sri Lanka and utilised.
Given the scale of damage, restoring connectivity was clearly an immediate priority in Sri Lanka, which was discussed during Dissanayake's telephonic conversation with Modi after the deluge swept over 20 districts in the country. A large number of Army engineers erected a Bailey bridge transported by C-17 aircraft at Killinochchi. "One more Bailey bridge at Chilaw is currently under construction. Overall, Operation Sagar Bandhu delivered over 1,100 tons of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential clothing and water purification kits. About 14.5 tons of medicines and medical equipment were also provided. Yet another 60 tons of equipment was brought to Sri Lanka to assist the relief operations," Jaishankar noted.
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Recognising the urgency of rebuilding, Jaishankar said that India decided to engage with the Sri Lankan government to address their priorities. India's assistance will cover sectors worst affected by the cyclone, including rehabilitation and restoration of road, railway and bridge connectivity; support for the construction of houses fully destroyed and partially damaged; support for health and education systems, in particular, those that have been damaged by the cyclone; agriculture, including to address possible shortages in the short and medium term and working towards better disaster response and preparedness.
"We are conscious that work towards mitigating the impact of Cyclone Ditwah on the people of Sri Lanka must be done in the quickest time possible. We are discussing an effective coordination mechanism for the earliest possible delivery," Jaishankar said.
He also assured that India will ensure tourism traffic to Sri Lanka, as it is heavily dependent on income from the sector.
