Top Indian diplomat reaffirms New Delhi's support for cyclone-struck Sri Lanka

Colombo: Indian envoy Santosh Jha met Sri Lankan politician Namal Rajapaksa on Monday and reiterated New Delhi's support for Sri Lanka in its recovery efforts from the devastating Cyclone Ditwah, which has claimed nearly 630 lives in the island nation. Jha's meeting with Namal, the son of former president and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, came in the backdrop of catastrophic floods and landslides in Sri Lanka, which have left the nation grappling with severe infrastructure collapse. Namal thanked India for the ongoing relief and rescue efforts under Operation Sagar Bandhu, the Indian High Commission said in an X post. During the meeting, Jha "reiterated that India will continue to support the people of Sri Lanka in their efforts to rebuild and recover," it said.

The cyclone wreaked havoc in the island nation and severely strained Sri Lanka's disaster-response capacity, and various countries, including India, are assisting in the rehabilitation process. India was the first country to respond to Sri Lanka's international appeal for assistance under its Operation Sagar Bandhu. Its humanitarian assistance has continued across land and air, focusing on both emergency response and sustained medical care. At least 627 people have been killed, and 190 remain missing as of Monday morning, due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.