Well balanced foreign policy helps in time of need  

One positive outcome of the cyclone Ditwah has been the overwhelming support extended to the country by its neighbours as well as the international community as a whole. For close to two weeks, nationals of several countries worked hand in hand with Sri Lankan rescue and relief workers to assist those affected by the cyclone, saving lives, providing urgently needed supplies and providing medical help. It is indeed heartening to see the prompt manner in which most countries came to Sri Lanka’s assistance when it was in dire need of such help.

During the 2004 December tsunami too, there was prompt international assistance helping the country to overcome probingly its worst natural disaster. Similarly Cyclone Ditwah has also shown that maintaining friendly relations with all countries is crucial.

India being the closest neighbour was the first to come to Sri Lanka’s assistance providing much needed help for the rescue and recovery work.   India’s assistance included  over  1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid reaching the country under Operation Sagar Bandhu, India’s multi-dimensional humanitarian support to Sri Lanka continues across land, sea, and air, providing timely rescue, relief, and medical assistance. During the COVID-19 pandemic too, India was the first to provide Sri Lanka much needed assistance as well as during the 2022 economic crisis.

Other nations such as the Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, the USA, Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Germany, Switzerland to name a few  rushed to Sri Lanka’s  help. Many others pledged financial assistance to help those impacted by the disaster.

Japan dispatched a 31-member team under the  Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) initiative that engaged in providing medical-assistance to disaster affected people. The medical team comprising doctors, medical experts, relief personnel and rescue specialists provided urgent medical care to communities affected by the recent flooding through the fully equipped mobile field hospital established by them at the Chilaw Police grounds.

The United Nations also allocated $4.5 million (Rs. 1.38 billion) from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to strengthen Sri Lanka’s response to Cyclone Ditwah. The  UN also launched its Humanitarian Priorities Plan to support Sri with the UN,  along with local and international partners,  seeking to mobilise $35 million in the next four months to provide immediate life-saving assistance. All this goodwill underscores the importance of maintaining good relations with our international partners . Sri Lanka has for decades maintained a non-aligned foreign policy and the National People’s Power (NPP) too  has stuck to the same policies.  Given the changing global dynamics, it’s  easy for countries to be swayed from one bloc to another but  Sri Lanka has largely managed to maintain cordial relations with all countries.  The Government needs to acknowledge that the support extended to Sri Lanka is not because it is now in power but a result of decades of work by successive Sri Lankan governments in ensuring the country remains as neutral as possible. It hasn’t always been easy but through ups and downs the country has managed to retain good relations with all countries.

Cyclone Ditwah has been a big learning experience for the Government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in many fronts since including on how to handle diplomatic relations. He and his Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath have put in many hours of hard work. Many challenges lie ahead in this area. The Government needs to build on the existing relations with its foreign partners and ensure that the country remains a trustworthy and reliable international friend.