Sirasa-Shakthi AID AIRLIFT Takes Off: Deployed With SLAF, Indian Air Force Mi-17 & DMC Support

COLOMBO (News 1st); 

The nationwide Sirasa Shakthi Sahana Yathra entered a decisive new phase this morning as the first emergency airlift of relief supplies took off, supported by the Sri Lanka Air Force, an Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter crew, and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

The mission will deliver critical food & drinking water to families trapped in remote flood-hit areas where ground access has collapsed under days of devastation.

Triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, the floods have now affected over a million Sri Lankans, with hundreds presumed dead and scores more still missing, according to official updates.

Entire communities in the Gampaha, Puttalam, Kurunegala, and Colombo districts remain submerged, with many residents cut off for days without clean water or food. The situation is particularly bad in the central Highlands, which is where this flight is headed.

Today’s airlift marks the first time relief supplies are being dispatched by air under the Sirasa-Shakthi initiative, after multiple land convoys have been deployed since Friday. The combined support of the SLAF, the Indian Air Force Mi-17, and coordination from the DMC has enabled the rapid mobilisation of humanitarian cargo to otherwise unreachable pockets of the country.

"This critical aid that will reach people on the edge of survival - thank you to every Sri Lankan who helped make this happen. And thank you to the DMC, SL Airforce and our brothers from India...', noted Chevaan Daniel, the Head of the Maharaja Media Network.

Officials say the air missions will continue through the day to ensure urgent supplies reach the most vulnerable.

Ground & boat convoys will operate in parallel as waters recede, while relief teams urge affected families to stay tuned to radio and TV updates for information on aid drops and evacuation routes.