Indonesia to send 5,000 tonnes of rice to drought-stricken Sri Lanka

The Indonesian Government will deliver 5,000 tonnes of rice as humanitarian aid to drought-stricken Sri Lanka, Indonesian media reported.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said the food aid had been requested personally by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.

“I have responded to the request since it was urgently needed,” Jokowi said at the warehouse of state-owned logistics agency Bulog in Jakarta yesterday.

Jokowi has said that having a close relationship with Sri Lanka, Indonesia feels the need to help the country. He expects the relevant ministry to immediately send the humanitarian aid.

At the same occasion, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said that Indonesia and Sri Lanka had a very long history together. The two countries were co-founders of the Non-Aligned Movement.