Sri Lanka plans to send disaster relief teams to Nepal in the coming days to assist areas affected by severe flooding, Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara said.
Speaking to the media in Anuradhapura, Jayasekara said the government had decided to deploy relief teams comprising members of Sri Lanka’s security forces, while discussions were still underway on the size and composition of the teams.
“We are still planning how the relief teams should be sent based on the requirements there,” he said, adding that the number of personnel and the type of teams to be deployed had not yet been finalised.
Jayasekara said arrangements were expected to be completed within the next few days.
He also said the government was making preliminary arrangements to provide US$1 million in financial assistance to Nepal following the disaster.
“The incident in Nepal is an unfortunate one. The President has also expressed his condolences,” he said.
Jayasekara said Sri Lanka, as a nearby South Asian country, would respond sensitively and extend assistance to Nepal during the crisis. (Newswire)