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Authorities of Sri Lanka ask Russia for additional aid amid Ditva cyclone — ambassador

According to Shobini Gunasekera, the scale of destruction in the country is unprecedented and there is enormous work ahead to be done in order to provide assistance, reconstruction, and resettlement

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. The government of Sri Lanka asks Russia to provide additional relief aid to the country after it was hit earlier in the month by devastating cyclone Ditva, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Russia Shobini Gunasekera told TASS.

"We have already received 35 [metric] tons of humanitarian aid delivered by the Russian government," she said in an interview with TASS. "We are very grateful for this help."

"But we appeal to all governments, and especially to the Russian government, with a request for further assistance during the recovery phase," she continued. "Therefore, I hope that in the spirit of our friendship and mutual understanding, some help will be provided."

According to the diplomat, the scale of destruction in the country is unprecedented and there is enormous work ahead to be done in order to provide assistance, reconstruction, and resettlement.

"I believe Sri Lanka would not handle this alone," she stated" This is why the government [of Sri Lanka] turned to the global community… which, as always, came to the aid of Sri Lanka, and Russia's help at this moment is very, very valuable," Gunasekera emphasized.

Cyclone Ditwah caused large-scale flooding in Sri Lanka, affecting a total of 1,364,481 people in all of the island nation’s 25 districts.

The death toll caused by the natural calamity in Sri Lanka already exceeds 400 people while some 854,000 were reported as an injured party while more than 124,000 civilians were safely evacuated to 920 temporary shelters.

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Authorities of Sri Lanka ask Russia for additional aid amid Ditva cyclone — ambassador

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