(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on Saturday ceremonially sent off a vessel carrying a large batch of relief goods bound for Sri Lanka, which continues to grapple with the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The shipment, which departed from the Chennai Port, included 300 metric tonnes of rice along with an equal quantity of sugar and lentils. It also carried 25 metric tonnes of milk powder, as well as medicines, blankets, clothing items such as dhotis and sarees, and other essential supplies.

An official confirmed that the consignment was valued at approximately Rs. 1.19 crore. A second batch of aid, featuring 150 metric tonnes each of rice and sugar along with additional necessities, was dispatched from the Tuticorin Port on the same day.

Tamil Nadu has a history of extending support to Sri Lanka in times of need, having sent similar assistance during the island's economic crisis in May 2022.

Sri Lanka has been reeling from widespread flooding triggered by Cyclone Ditwah's landfall on November 28. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly one million people across all 25 districts have been affected, with 212 deaths reported. More than 180,000 individuals have sought refuge in 1,094 relief centres.

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