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The arrival of two U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in Sri Lanka with full media visibility and an unusually high-profile diplomatic presence marks a striking departure from Washington’s historically discreet approach to military disaster assistance on the island.

U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in Sri Lanka

While past U.S. military deployments for emergency relief have often been conducted with minimal publicity due to geopolitical sensitivities, this week’s response to Cyclone Ditwah has been accompanied by extensive public messaging, embassy-issued photographs, and top-level diplomatic commentary.

The aircraft, deployed under U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, were welcomed at Katunayake Air Base by Ambassador Julie Chung and senior Sri Lankan officials. The Embassy’s announcement highlighted America’s “airlift and logistics muscle,” presenting the operation as a visible symbol of U.S. commitment to Sri Lanka.

The messaging stood in contrast to earlier instances such as disaster operations following floods or landslides over the past decade when U.S. air assets were deployed more quietly, sometimes without advance public disclosure.

Diplomatic observers note that the sudden emphasis on visibility comes at a time when major powers are intensifying humanitarian diplomacy across the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lanka’s strategic location makes disaster-relief optics a valuable tool for influence. Several analysts argue that the U.S. may be signalling greater operational transparency or strategic presence amid heightened competition with other regional actors.

The official narrative frames the deployment squarely as humanitarian. According to the U.S. Embassy, the C-130Js and personnel from the 36th Contingency

 Response Group will provide rapid airlift to deliver shelter materials, sanitation supplies, medical aid, and food to cyclone-affected regions.

Additional support from the 374th Airlift Wing and the U.S. Marine Corps reinforces what officials call a “multinational, inter-service humanitarian partnership.”

Ambassador Chung praised Sri Lankan responders and underscored the urgency of logistics following severe damage to road infrastructure.

“The United States is here to take on some heavy lifting,” she said. Defense Attaché Matthew House emphasized that the mission builds on long-running military cooperation, noting that joint exercises have strengthened coordination for crises like Cyclone Ditwah.

Yet beneath the humanitarian partnership lies a broader geopolitical context. The public roll-out of this operation raises questions about why previous U.S. military-supported relief missions some involving aerial surveillance, airlift support, or operational planners received little or no publicity.

Officials who follow defense cooperation note that the U.S. typically keeps deployments low-profile to avoid triggering regional sensitivities,

 but the robust public messaging in this instance suggests a shift: either an effort to demonstrate commitment to Sri Lanka, or an intention to maintain visibility in a crowded strategic theatre.

The United States has also recently provided SLAF with $2.1 million worth of airlift-support equipment fuel trucks, loading platforms, and ground-power units now deployed in the cyclone response. This accompanies the $2 million in humanitarian aid announced within 72 hours of landfall.

As relief operations continue, the high-visibility American deployment raises a new question: Is this transparency a one-off gesture for Cyclone Ditwah, or the beginning of a more assertive U.S. humanitarian footprint in Sri Lanka?

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung and Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defense Major General KP Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.) welcome U.S. Air Force Airmen at Katunayake Air Base

The Tamil Nadu government has donated 950 metric tonnes of essential relief items to people affected due to Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.

The ship carrying the relief items, including clothes and food, has left the Chennai port.

The donation was made under the leadership of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin following a request by Chennai Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Dr. GanesanathanGeathiswaran.

Sri Lanka’s economic recovery has been shaken by revelations that the Central Bank is excluding billions in short-term domestic forex swaps from its reserve calculations, prompting accusations from Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance (COPF) that the Bank may be overstating the country’s true financial safety net.

At a heated session, COPF Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva confronted Central Bank officials over why domestic dollar swaps with local and foreign banks operating in Sri Lanka are kept off the books when computing Net International Reserves (NIR). COPF Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva

“These may be domestic obligations but they are liabilities in dollars,” he emphasized. “You still need forex to settle them.”

CBSL Director of Economic Research Sujatha Jegajeevan confirmed the omission. “We only deduct external liabilities,” she said.

The Bank currently deducts the PBoC (US$1.36 bn), RBI (US$880 mn), and IMF (US$580 mn) obligations to arrive at an NIR figure of US$ 3.4 billion from US$ 6.2 billion gross reserves.

But COPF members say the domestic swaps could amount to a massive hidden liability not reflected in headline figures.

COPF member MP Ravi Karunanayake a former finance minister blasted the arrangement:“That is more of a hot money operation.”

De Silva added that similar schemes were used in the past to “inflate” reserves artificially, claiming that the practice “misleads policymakers and the public.”

Why the Omission Matters

In simple terms:A swap is a loan the central bank takes dollars today and promises to return them later.If these loans are hidden or underreported, Sri Lanka’s reserve strength could be overstated by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Analysts say such swaps: expand rupee liquidity,fuel imports,weaken the rupee, and ultimately force the central bank to lose reserves defending the currency.

In 2022, CBSL booked Rs. 788 billion in forex losses from reserve-related debt, much of it linked to swap-driven instability.

Governor Weerasinghe’s Defence

Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe insisted the swap lines are short-term liquidity tools for banks and part of standard reserve management.

“These instruments provide rupee liquidity. If banks have an opportunity, they use swaps,” he said, adding that swaps help build gross reserves “on a short-term basis” while genuine market purchases continue.

In the last three years, the Bank claims to have purchased: US$ 1.8 billion in year one,US$ 2.8 billion in year two,  US$ 1.4 billion in 2025 up to November.

However COPF members argue that such purchases cannot mask the structural weakness created by swap-driven liquidity injections.

A Systemic Risk That Could Trigger another Crisis, Economists caution that swap-driven liquidity expansion can trigger a dangerous cycle:

Liquidity boosts credit and imports.

Dollars leave the economy.

CBSL must intervene, losing reserves.

More liquidity must be injected to prevent a credit collapse.

The rupee comes under pressure, causing further losses.

This dynamic worsened several Asian crises in the 1990s, where central banks relied heavily on swaps that later blew up when currencies fell.

A Call for a Full Audit of Swap Liabilities

COPF members now want the Central Bank to disclose:the total value of outstanding domestic swaps,the maturity profile,settlement risks, and how these obligations impact the NIR.

Dr. de Silva stressed that transparency is the only way to prevent “another disaster created by misreported reserve strength.”

Karunanayake added that “hot money flows give a false sense of stability,” warning that if swap liabilities are large, the country’s true reserve buffer may be significantly weaker than publicly stated.

As Sri Lanka navigates its post-default recovery, the COPF revelations highlight a hard truth: a country cannot stabilise its currency with temporary borrowed dollars especially when those dollars remain hidden behind accounting gaps.

An aircraft carrying 2.6 metric tons of disaster relief supplies from Switzerland touched down at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake this morning (06).
The shipment, consisting of 17 packages that include water purification units and supporting operational equipment, was flown from Zurich on Edelweiss Air flight WK 064.

 Today at Katunayake Air Base, two C-130J Super Hercules and Airmen from the U.S. Air Force 36th Contingency Response Group (CRG) arrived to provide American airlift capability in support of Sri Lanka’s Cyclone Ditwah response. U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung and Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defense Major General KP Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.) welcomed the team on arrival U.S. and Sri Lankan counterparts are moving immediately to begin deliveries of critical relief supplies to affected communities. U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 36th CRG, operating out of Guam, and other units, will provide immediate transportation and logistics support to areas identified by the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Center. Additional supporting units include the U.S. Air Force’s 374th Airlift Wing (Yokota Air Base, Japan) and the U.S. Marine Corps’ III Marine Expeditionary Force (Okinawa, Japan). Also present for the arrival were Hon. Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena, Minister of Science and Technology, Hon. Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku, Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, and Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda, Director General of the Disaster Management Center.

“Sri Lanka’s responders are doing heroic work,” said Ambassador Chung. “The United States is here to take on some heavy lifting—bringing American airlift and logistics muscle to push critical supplies into the hardest-hit areas so Sri Lanka’s frontline teams can stay focused on people, not transportation. The United States stands steadfast with Sri Lanka in this challenging time, committed to supporting recovery and rebuilding efforts.” 

“When roads are strained and time is short, logistics becomes the lifeline,” said Matthew House, U.S. Embassy Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché. “America is here with airlift capacity and coordination to keep that lifeline of critical assistance moving. The C-130J Super Hercules is a workhorse airlifter—built to move essential cargo rapidly and reliably when access is limited. Our regular joint training exercises with the Sri Lankan Armed Forces have built strong relationships and enhanced our ability to work together in crises like Cyclone Ditwah.” 

Following a request from the Government of Sri Lanka and in coordination with the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) deployed U.S. military aircraft and personnel to provide airlift and logistics support for Sri Lanka’s Cyclone Ditwah response. Working alongside the Sri Lanka Air Force, U.S. aircraft will support Sri Lanka-led airlift missions to move emergency relief supplies—temporary shelter materials, safe water, sanitation and hygiene support, food assistance, and other essential supplies—from Katunayake Air Base to affected areas, as Sri Lankan authorities assess needs and set priorities.  

The United States has also recently provided the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) a package of critical airlift and logistics-enabling equipment valued at approximately $2.1 million (about LKR 640 million) —capabilities already in active use and directly supporting Sri Lanka’s Cyclone Ditwah response. Delivered through U.S. security cooperation, the package includes fuel trucks, forklifts with sustainment parts, flood lights, ground power units with sustainment parts, and portable cargo-loading platforms , which strengthens the SLAF’s ability to rapidly receive, fuel, power, load, and move relief supplies—day or night—so assistance can reach affected communities faster and at greater scale. 

The United States announced $2 million to support disaster response efforts within 72 hours of Cyclone Ditwah’s landfall, reflecting the goodwill of the American people and our long-standing partnership with Sri Lanka. Through trusted implementing organizations, this assistance will support emergency shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, and health services for communities impacted by the storm. The United States remains in close coordination with the Government of Sri Lanka as it leads recovery and reconstruction efforts following Tropical Cyclone Ditwah. 

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung and Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defense Major General KP Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.) welcome U.S. Air Force Airmen at Katunayake Air Base following the arrival of two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft supporting Sri Lanka’s Cyclone Ditwah response. A U.S. C-130J Super Hercules is positioned on the flight line at Katunayake Air Base as part of U.S. airlift and logistics support for Cyclone Ditwah response operations.    

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism, Vijitha Herath yesterday (05 December 2025) co-chaired a diplomatic briefing to update foreign Diplomatic Missions and International Organizations accredited to Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka Missions and Honorary Consuls abroad, on national recovery and rebuilding efforts following adverse weather conditions caused by Cyclone Ditwa.

Prime Minister Amarasuriya expressed her sincere appreciation to all Diplomatic Missions, international organisations and other partners for their swift support during the emergency situation as well for the solidarity and assistance extended as the country undertakes extensive recovery efforts.

The Prime Minister noted that Sri Lanka has now transitioned from the emergency response phase into the recovery and reconstruction phase. She emphasized that the Government’s immediate priorities include the full restoration of essential services including electricity, water supply, transportation links, health facilities, and telecommunications across all affected districts, ensuring that communities can return to stability as quickly as possible.

The Prime Minister further noted that a comprehensive needs assessment is being conducted with the assistance of development partners, the results of which will guide the rehabilitation and reconstruction plans. Prime Minister Amarasuriya invited all international partners to support identified priority areas, including the repair and reconstruction of roads, bridges, and transport links; rehabilitation of canals, irrigation systems; restoration of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services; and large-scale waste management and debris removal to reduce health and environmental risks. She reiterated the need for continued international solidarity and thanked all officials, first responders, and partners for their tireless efforts.

Director General of the Disaster Management Centre presented an overview of the current situation in the affected areas, as well as findings from early rapid damage assessments.

The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority together with representatives from the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and the Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) highlighted that key tourism sites including wildlife parks, marine parks, and cultural attractions have reopened and are accessible, and encouraged tourists to visit as overall tourism operations continue to stabilize. He further emphasized that prompt action was taken to evacuate all tourists stranded in the affected areas.

The tourism industry stakeholders emphasized that the strongest support the international community can offer Sri Lanka at this time is to continue choosing the country as a travel destination and requested the diplomatic community to encourage the regular review of travel advisories in line with improvements on-the-ground, which in turn will support the affected communities.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organisations present at the meeting reaffirmed their solidarity with Sri Lanka and briefed on both ongoing initiatives and planned support measures to assist the country’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism  

Colombo 

The Department of Meteorology announced that Northeast monsoon conditions are gradually taking hold across Sri Lanka, bringing an increase in rainfall over parts of the island.

According to the forecast, showery weather is expected to strengthen over the Northern, North-Central, and Eastern provinces from tonight. Intermittent showers are likely in these regions as well as in the Uva Province.

Some areas in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts may receive fairly heavy showers exceeding 50 mm.

Meanwhile, several other parts of the country could experience showers or thundershowers after 1.00 p.m. tomorrow. Misty conditions are also expected during the early morning hours in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, and Uva provinces.

The Met Department advised the public to remain cautious and take necessary measures to prevent damage from sudden strong winds and lightning that may accompany evening thundershowers.

The death toll due to the adverse weather conditions experienced in the country over the past few days has climbed to 611, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) has confirmed.

According to the DMC, another 213 individuals remain missing as rescue and search operations continue.

The extreme weather has impacted all 25 districts of the island, affecting a total of 2,054,535 people from 576,626 families.

Of these, 114,126 individuals from 33,622 families are currently sheltered in 956 relief centres, the DMC stated.

Furthermore, 4,309 houses have been completely destroyed, while another 69,635 houses have sustained partial damage as a result of the disaster, it added.

(adaderana.lk)

Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Sunil Watagala has come under sharp public and institutional criticism after urging police to invoke emergency regulations against individuals posting what he termed “defamatory” content about the President and senior ministers on social media.

 His remarks, made in the middle of a national disaster response, have ignited a storm of concern over political overreach, abuse of emergency powers, and the chilling effect on citizens and journalists at a moment when transparent communication is vital.

The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) condemned the Deputy Minister’s comments in an unusually forceful statement, warning that his directive represented a direct assault on freedom of expression.

At a time when the government is working often under harsh scrutiny to provide relief and restore essential services, the SLWJA argued that such rhetoric only undermines public trust and creates the impression that the state is more interested in policing criticism than addressing urgent humanitarian needs.

Watagala made his remarks on 2 December during a meeting at the Malabe Divisional Secretariat, attended by several officials including Deputy Media Minister Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathna.

Claiming that a coordinated campaign was underway to disseminate misleading information about the disaster, he alleged that false narratives were being spread through “physical means, social media, and even AI-generated content,” including by individuals based overseas.

However, what alarmed media organisations was not the acknowledgement of misinformation—which is a legitimate concern during emergencies but the Deputy Minister’s instruction to police officers to treat those posting such content “not merely as suspects but as offenders” under emergency regulations.

 According to the SLWJA, this directive crosses a dangerous threshold by equating criticism and commentary with criminal activity.

The association accused the government of backtracking on democratic values it once promised to uphold. It added that this was part of a pattern of escalating pressure on journalists, editors, and digital platforms over the past year pressure that has intensified alongside political discomfort over disaster management shortcomings now under public scrutiny.

The SLWJA warned that weaponising disaster-related emergency powers to silence dissent poses a severe threat to constitutional rights.

Such actions, it said, weaken the credibility of the government’s relief efforts by creating suspicion that officials are attempting to suppress independent reporting rather than improve accountability.

A separate statement from Internet Media Action (IMA) echoed these concerns, calling the remarks a “serious threat to freedom of expression” and an “abuse of power.

” The IMA criticised Watagala’s claim that “malicious character assassination attacks” warranted harsh punishment under emergency law, noting that the distinction between scrutiny and defamation cannot be defined arbitrarily by political actors.

The organisation stressed that using emergency regulations designed for disaster management to suppress criticism amounts to “theft of fundamental rights.” Such rhetoric, it warned, could foster fear, discourage citizens from reporting lapses in relief operations, and ultimately hinder the government’s ability to correct errors on the ground.

“Criticism is not a crime,” the IMA insisted, demanding that Watagala withdraw his comments. Civil society groups have also urged the government to clarify its commitment to fundamental freedoms as it navigates the challenging task of rebuilding communities devastated by the disaster

Sri Lanka’s airports continue to operate without disruption, with all scheduled flights running smoothly despite the recent adverse weather conditions, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL) said.

Accordingly, a total of 84 flight arrivals and 87 departures were recorded across the country’s airports yesterday.

Notably, no flight cancellations or weather-related diversions were reported.

AASL said that airport operations remain stable and that necessary measures are in place to ensure uninterrupted services for passengers and airlines.

(source - dailymirror)

India’s relief mission to disaster-stricken Sri Lanka is being hailed as a humanitarian necessitybut beneath the emergency response lies a deeper strategic narrative reshaping power dynamics in the Indian Ocean. As floodwaters recede and the scale of destruction becomes clearer, foreign-policy specialists say the crisis has opened a critical window for New Delhi to reinforce its influence at a time when global rivals are also vying for economic and political space in Sri Lanka.

Following Cyclone Ditwah’s devastation, India moved with exceptional speed: military aircraft mobilised within hours, naval units placed on alert, and emergency supplies dispatched in successive waves. The arrival of the rapidly deployable Bailey bridge system aboard an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster was the most visible symbol of New Delhi’s intent to become Colombo’s indispensable first responder.

But foreign affairs experts argue that India’s actions must be read within the broader context of regional competition with China, whose infrastructural footprint in Sri Lanka has grown over the past decade. By delivering highly visible assistance military logistics, engineering teams, medical equipment, and multiple plane loads of relief suppliesIndia is signalling that its presence is not merely historical or cultural, but strategically essential.

Diplomatic insiders note that New Delhi has deliberately kept the relief highly public, highlighting its capacity to mobilise quickly and at scale. Each incoming aircraft reinforces a narrative of reliability at a time when Sri Lanka faces the dual burden of disaster recovery and a fragile economic revival. With the island’s estimated losses reaching 1–3 percent of GDP, external support will shape not only the humanitarian response but future economic alignments.

India’s approach also aligns with its “Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)” doctrine, which frames the Indian Ocean as a sphere where New Delhi must ensure stability and counterbalance external powers. Disaster relief, analysts say, has become a soft-power extension of this strategy building goodwill, strengthening institutional partnerships, and positioning India as the go-to regional guarantor during crises.

In Sri Lanka, public reaction to India’s assistance has been largely positive, contrasting earlier periods when bilateral relations were strained by political mistrust. The emphasis on practical, life-saving support bridges, generators, and medical units has shifted perceptions, presenting India as both empathetic and efficient.

As the reconstruction phase begins, India is likely to seek deeper engagement: infrastructure collaboration, credit lines for rebuilding, and expanded development cooperation. For New Delhi, disaster assistance is more than charityit is a strategic investment in long-term influence, executed at a moment when Sri Lanka needs external partners the most.

INDIA’S RELIEF ASSISTANCE TO POST-CYCLONE SRI LANKA

INDIA’S EMERGENCY AID – AT A GLANCE

Flights & Logistics

Total Indian relief flights: 6 confirmed sorties (C-17 Globemaster, C-130J, AN-32)

Additional flights on standby: 4

Air assets deployed: Heavy-lift transport aircraft + engineering teams

Relief Cargo (Estimated)

Total tonnage delivered: Approx. 240–280 metric tonnes

Bailey bridge System: 1 complete modular unit

Engineering crew: 12-member rapid deployment bridge team

Humanitarian Materials

Emergency shelters / tents: 3,500 units

Water purification systems: 48 units

Portable generators: 62

Medical emergency kits: 4,200

Family ration packs: 18,000

Inflatable rescue boats: 10

Satellite communication units: 14

Blankets & clothing: 22,000 items

Financial & Technical Support

Indicative value of assistance so far:

USD 6–8 million (LKR 2.0–2.7 billion)

Additional credit lines under consideration: For reconstruction materials & heavy machinery

Technical support: Structural engineers, disaster-management teams

Infrastructure Impact

Bridges destroyed in Sri Lanka: 15

Roads affected: 254

Roads reopened with aid-supported access: 159 (as of Dec 3)