Russia has dispatched a planeload of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, Russia’s RIA news agency reported on Wednesday, quoting Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Moscow, Shobini Gunasekera.
Ambassador Gunasekera said that an aircraft carrying 35 tonnes of relief supplies had already departed for Colombo and was expected to arrive later today.
Cyclone Ditwah, the deadliest natural disaster to hit Sri Lanka since the 2004 tsunami, claimed 635 lives and affected nearly 10% of the population.
The storm also caused extensive damage to vital infrastructure and key agricultural crops, including rice and tea. Authorities estimate that total recovery and reconstruction costs could reach US$ 7 billion.
