Israel has delivered emergency supplies to Sri Lankan authorities as they struggle to cope with the impact of floods and mudslides that have killed over 200 people and displaced more than 600,000 from their homes in recent days.
Daniel Carmon — Israel’s ambassador to India and Sri Lanka — delivered boxes of relief supplies to Colombo’s Foreign Ministry, including power generators that were taken immediately to afflicted areas.
"Israel is #SriLanka's all-weather friend."
– Amb @danielocarmon delivers Israeli aid on behalf of the Israeli ppl following #SriLankaFloods pic.twitter.com/cHKCOZIw1K— Israel Foreign Min. (@IsraelMFA) May 30, 2017
More than 1,500 homes have been destroyed and 16 hospitals evacuated since heavy rains began to hit southern and western areas of the island on Friday. As many as 99 people are missing, according to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Center, and the death toll is expected to rise as authorities try to rescue those still stranded.
The state-run Disaster Management Center said around 600,000 people remained temporarily homeless on Wednesday following last Friday’s landslides and floods.
Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake said 16 countries, including Israel, had sent medicines and relief supplies to assist those driven from their homes.
Mudslides have become common during Sri Lanka’s summer monsoon season as forests across the tropical Indian Ocean island nation have been cleared for export crops such as tea and rubber. Another massive landslide a year ago killed more than 100 people in central Sri Lanka.
