Russia Flies 34 Tonnes of Humanitarian Aid To Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has received 34 tonnes of humanitarian aid from Russia, with the flight arriving on December 10. The consignment was delivered on the instruction of President Vladimir Putin and under the directive of Aleksandr Kurenkov, the Russian Minister of Emergency Situations.

An Il-76 aircraft brought mobile power stations, pumping equipment, tents, and food supplies to Sri Lanka, which was affected by Cyclone ‘Ditwah.’ Hundreds of thousands of people were impacted across the island, with tens of thousands displaced and moved to temporary shelters. 618 people died, and another 218 remain unaccounted for.

Russians make up the largest number of tourists to Sri Lanka, which also has a Russian House cultural centre.

Russian businesses have several investments in Sri Lanka, including joint management of its Hambantota Airport, a pharmaceutical joint venture, the adding of it as an Asian freight port call, and potential energy and other investment projects. Bilateral trade is running at about US$550 million.