Pakistan sends 10,000 MT of rice for drought affected people of Sri Lanka

Islamabad: Pakistan has initiated the procedure for shipment of 10,000 metric tons rice to Sri Lanka in the wake of severe drought in the island nation.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that in line with a directive of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to provide all necessary assistance to the Government and people of Sri Lanka, in the wake of severe drought in that country, the procedure for dispatch of 10,000 MT rice to Sri Lanka through containerized shipments, has been initiated.

The first shipment out of 10,000 MT rice departed from Pakistan today and will reach Sri Lanka on Monday, 3rd April.

Earlier, 25 MT rice have already been dispatched to Colombo, on 8th February through a Pakistani Air Force aircraft, as immediate short term assistance.

“The Government and people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with the brotherly people of Sri Lanka in this hour of need and will continue to provide all possible support to them,” the Foreign Ministry statement said. Sri Lanka is facing a shortage of rice, the main staple food in the country, as the Maha season rice crop in 2017 is significantly impaired by the severe drought.