On August 5 in Colombo, the People’s Republic of China renewed its quiet covenant of friendship, delivering humanitarian aid valued at over Rs. 400 million to Sri Lanka. In a solemn handover ceremony, the consignment was formally entrusted to the authorities responsible for disaster management, underscoring the unshakable partnership between the two nations in the face of rising waters and relentless floods.
Valued at 10 million Yuan, the relief package includes boats and life jackets for rescue operations, tents and bedding to shelter those displaced, sanitary units to uphold health and dignity, and flood-control equipment designed to protect communities from nature’s fury. Coordinated through the National Disaster Relief Services Centre, these vital resources will be swiftly distributed to the regions hardest hit by calamity, offering timely relief where it is most needed.
Expressing heartfelt appreciation, the Additional Secretary of the Disaster Management Division, Mr. K.G. Dharmathilake, hailed the donation as a beacon of enduring solidarity. He was joined by Director General of the Disaster Management Division, Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda; Director General (Planning), Mr. W.S.S. Mangala; Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Mr. D. Amanulla; and Senior Assistant Secretary of the Disaster Management Division, Mr. Namal Liyanage. Officials from the Chinese Embassy, including Counsellor Ms. Tang Yandi and Attaché Mr. Shi Zhen, also attended the ceremony.
This generous gesture stands as a testament that in an era marked by climate challenges, true friendship does not merely endure adversity but strengthens, carving safer shores where generations to come may find security and hope.
