UAE sends eighth aid plane to help Sri Lankan communities hit by floods
Posted on December 9th, 2025
Courtesy The National
Latest humanitarian flight carries 1,080 food parcels
December 09, 2025
The UAE has sent an eighth plane of crucial aid and supplies to support communities in Sri Lanka hit by fatal floods and landslides.
The eighth aid plane from the Emirates arrived on Tuesday in the capital Colombo, laden with 1,080 food parcels as part of a continuing support campaign from the UAE.
This brings the total UAE assistance delivered to Sri Lankans hit by the devastation to more than 116 tonnes of relief items, including food, shelter materials and logistical support, reported state news agency Wam.
The UAE government’s humanitarian operation – which was directed by President Sheikh Mohamed – has been backed by an outpouring of community support.
Sri Lankans in the Emirates, some of whom had travelled home during the Eid Al Etihad holiday, have formed volunteer groups to send food and clothes to remote areas in desperate need.
The infrastructure damage is huge. Only a quarter of Sri Lanka’s 1,593km railway network is usable. Across the country, 483 dams, 1,936 canals and 55,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed. The government estimates the damage runs into billions of dollars.
The disaster is part of catastrophic flooding that has killed more than 1,500 people across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.