India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to aid Sri Lanka, sending 27 tons of relief, NDRF teams, and setting up an emergency help desk as over 123 lives were lost.
Cyclone Ditwah: India has launched ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative to support Sri Lanka as the island country battles Cyclone Ditwah, which has claimed at least 123 lives and left over 130 people missing.
Disaster Management Centre Director General Sampath Kotuwegoda said relief operations were underway with 43,995 people moved to state-run welfare centres after their homes were destroyed in the week-long heavy rains.
The DMC said as many as 1,48,603 individuals from 44,192 families were suffering due to widespread flooding, while 5,024 families (approximately 14,000 people) had taken shelter in 195 emergency centres.
The first tranche of relief materials was handed over after the consignments were transported by the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and frontline ship INS Udaigiri to the island nation.
The first shipment, comprising 4.5 tonnes of dry rations and 2 tonnes of fresh rations, was sourced from the Indian naval ships which are currently docked in Sri Lanka. The supplies included staple foods, ready-to-eat items, dairy and bakery products, beverages and other essential materials.
On Saturday, an IAF C-130J aircraft carrying around 12 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, and ready-to-eat food items, landed in Colombo.
Operation Sagar Bandhu | Humanitarian Assistance
In the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah across Sri Lanka, India swiftly launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to bolster relief efforts.
The Indian Air Force promptly deployed one C-130 and one IL-76 from Hindan Air… pic.twitter.com/cIT7gKiPNs
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) November 29, 2025
Later, an IAF IL-76 aircraft carrying 80 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, four sniffer dogs and specialised relief equipment to support rescue operations, reached the island nation.
The contingent, led by 8th Battalion Commandant P K Tiwary, flew out from Hindon Air Base with inflatable boats, hydraulic cutting and breaching tools, communication gear and medical kits, as part of India’s HADR outreach under Operation Sagar Bandhu.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also shared the update on X, saying that a total of around 27 tons of relief material delivered by air and sea.