Pakistan sending three shiploads of rice as drought relief

The Government of Pakistan has dispatched three relief ships containing 3,000MT (3 million kg) of rice, for drought-affected Sri Lankans.

This relief tranche is part of a 10,000MT (10 million kg) rice shipment approved by Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for people affected by the ongoing drought conditions in Sri Lanka. The remaining 7,000MT is expected to reach Colombo within April. 

Earlier, in February 2017, the Government of Pakistan sent a relief flight to Colombo containing 25MT of rice for drought affected people.

High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka Maj. Gen. (R) Syed Shakeel Hussain will hand over the relief consignments to Sri Lankan authorities at the Colombo Port in the first week of April.