President Sheikh Mohamed on Friday received a phone call from Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka.
Mr Dissanayake expressed his appreciation for the humanitarian assistance the UAE continues to provide to communities affected by recent floods and heavy rainfall in Sri Lanka, the state news agency Wam reported.
During the call, Sheikh Mohamed extended his condolences to Mr Dissanayake and the Sri Lankan people for the loss of life caused by the floods, and wished the country safety and resilience. More than 1,500 people have died, with flooding affecting Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Three tropical cyclones, coinciding with the north-east monsoon that typically brings heavy downpours to South-East Asia at this time of year, caused widespread destruction.
Damage to infrastructure is extensive. Only a quarter of Sri Lanka’s 1,593km railway network is usable. Across the country, 483 dams, 1,936 canals and 55,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed. The government estimates the damage runs into billions of dollars.
Emergency relief operations were swiftly launched through the Joint Operations Command, the UAE Agency for International Aid, and the Emirates Red Crescent.
These efforts included search and rescue missions in the hardest-hit areas, carried out by teams from Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, as well as the delivery of urgent supplies such as essential food items and emergency shelter materials for displaced families.
