India launched a rapid humanitarian response to Cyclone Ditwah, which battered Sri Lanka on November 27, 2025, killing at least 56 people and displacing thousands across the island's eastern and southern coasts. Under 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', New Delhi dispatched two Indian Air Force aircraft loaded with 25 tonnes of relief materials, including medicines, blankets, and food supplies, arriving in Colombo within hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public assurance of support.

Cyclone's Fury and Immediate Toll

Cyclone Ditwah made landfall near Trincomalee with winds exceeding 120 km/h, triggering flash floods, landslides, and power outages affecting over 200,000 residents. Sri Lankan authorities reported 56 confirmed deaths, with 22 missing and hundreds injured, primarily in Batticaloa and Ampara districts where homes were submerged and infrastructure crumbled. The disaster struck just before the holiday season, exacerbating vulnerabilities in a nation still recovering from economic woes. Death toll estimates vary by source but confirm severe impact: at least 56 fatalities by November 28, rising to 69-123 in updates, with over 80 total reported alongside 14-21 injuries and 22-34 missing persons. Central highlands like Badulla saw 19-21 deaths from landslides burying homes, while eastern districts such as Batticaloa, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, and Kandy reported 20+ missing after village-scale slides; Nuwara Eliya and hill country towns like Kandy faced record downpours, stranding thousands. Over 148,000 people from 44,000+ families were affected, with 5,000+ families—43,991 individuals—evacuated to 195 emergency shelters, including rooftop rescues amid swollen rivers. The storm's pre-landfall rains since Monday amplified economic strain on Sri Lanka's recovering crisis-hit economy, halting rail, closing offices, and displacing communities just before peak holiday travel. After landfall, Ditwah churned northwest toward India, prompting IMD alerts for Tamil Nadu landfall on November 30 with heavy rains and thunderstorms. Rescue operations by armed forces continue amid warnings of further intensification.

Operation Sagar Bandhu: Details of Aid

Operation Sagar Bandhu is India's named Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission launched on November 28, 2025, to provide urgent aid to Sri Lanka following the devastation from Cyclone Ditwah. It embodies New Delhi's "Neighbourhood First" policy, leveraging military assets for rapid response in the Indian Ocean region, similar to prior operations like Sagar Maitri for cyclone-hit neighbors. The operation began hours after PM Narendra Modi's condolences, with INS Vikrant (indigenous aircraft carrier) and INS Udaygiri (multi-role frigate)—already in Colombo for a fleet review—pivoting to deliver initial relief supplies at Sri Lankan request. Indian Air Force C-130J and IL-76 aircraft from Hindon Air Base airlifted 21-25 tonnes of materials, including medicines, rations, blankets, and equipment, plus over 80 NDRF personnel for on-ground support. Relief targets flood- and landslide-hit areas, focusing on essentials for 44,000+ displaced people amid 56-80+ deaths and infrastructure damage. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the mission, with Modi pledging further assistance like power restoration gear as the cyclone tracks toward Tamil Nadu. This marks India's fourth major HADR to Sri Lanka recently, reinforcing bilateral ties during economic recovery.

Strategic Ties and Neighborhood First Policy

India's Neighbourhood First Policy (NFP), formalized in 2008 and prioritized since 2014, guides relations with immediate neighbors including Sri Lanka, emphasizing physical, digital, and people-to-people connectivity alongside trade and commerce growth. Core principles follow the "5S" framework: Samman (respect), Samvad (dialogue), Shanti (peace), Samriddhi (prosperity), and Sanskriti (culture), pursued through consultative, non-reciprocal, and outcome-oriented engagement. For Sri Lanka, NFP manifests in major infrastructure like the Colombo Port expansion, Jaffna Cultural Centre, Trincomalee solar plant, and a $1 billion credit line during its 2022 crisis, plus 60,000 housing units across phases. Operation Sagar Bandhu exemplifies this via rapid HADR, aligning with Vision MAHASAGAR for regional security and growth, as PM Modi reiterated post-Cyclone Ditwah. Recent Army Chief visits and defence cooperation further bolster stability amid shared challenges like climate disasters. NFP positions India as a first responder—evident in Sri Lanka aid contrasting slower responses from others—countering influences like China while fostering joint disaster drills and economic recovery support. It resolves bilateral issues through pacts, enhances connectivity via roads/railways, and extends Lines of Credit for tailored projects, ensuring regional peace essential for India's development. Sri Lankan leaders affirm its mutual benefits, strengthening ties despite occasional strains.

Cyclone Ditwah's devastation in Sri Lanka, claiming over 120 lives, displacing 44,000, and destroying 15,000 homes, underscores the escalating threat of climate-driven disasters in South Asia.​​ India's Operation Sagar Bandhu exemplifies the Neighbourhood First Policy in action, delivering swift aid via naval and air assets to reaffirm regional leadership and solidarity amid Sri Lanka's economic recovery.​ As recovery efforts intensify with international support, this crisis highlights the need for enhanced joint early-warning systems and resilient infrastructure, ensuring neighbors stand united against nature's fury.