COLOMBO – India announced a robust $450 million humanitarian aid package on Monday to support Sri Lanka’s recovery from Cyclone Ditwah, one of the island nation’s deadliest storms. The commitment came during Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s two-day visit, where he delivered a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The cyclone, which barreled through Sri Lanka earlier this month, claimed over 640 lives and displaced more than two million people. Floods and landslides caused an estimated $4 billion in damages—equivalent to 4% of the country’s GDP, per World Bank figures. President Dissanayake called it the most severe natural disaster in Sri Lanka’s history.
Of the aid, $350 million will come as concessional lines of credit, with $100 million provided outright as grants. India has already dispatched 998 tonnes of relief materials, including medicines and equipment, and deployed its military to install portable bridges for urgent connectivity.”Restoring connectivity was a clear immediate priority,” Jaishankar said at a media briefing in Colombo. He also pledged to boost Indian tourism and foreign direct investment to aid economic revival.
The storm hit as Sri Lanka stabilizes post its 2022 economic crisis, which depleted foreign reserves and triggered shortages of essentials. An IMF bailout of $2.9 billion in 2023 has helped steady the economy, but Cyclone Ditwah poses fresh challenges. This aid underscores India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, strengthening ties with its southern neighbor at a pivotal moment.