Expired Pakistani Aid to Flood-Devastated Sri Lanka Sparks International Outrage as Death Toll Continues to Rise

Pakistan's social media announcement about providing relief supplies to flood-ravaged Sri Lanka has triggered widespread criticism after X users highlighted that the donated items were expired. As images circulated online showing outdated food and medical supplies, reports indicated that Sri Lankan relief authorities had also identified issues with the problematic aid package.

Visual evidence revealed packages displaying an expiry date of October 2024, accompanied by the message "Pakistan Stands With Sri Lanka today and Always." The supplies were discovered to be expired and unusable upon arrival in Sri Lanka. According to sources, Colombo has addressed this issue with Islamabad through both informal discussions and official diplomatic channels.

This isn't Pakistan's first controversy regarding aid distribution. During the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, relief materials like flour that India sent through Pakistan reportedly arrived in a contaminated and damaged condition.

The death toll in Sri Lanka has reached at least 334 due to floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah. Floodwaters continue rising in Colombo while landslide warnings remain active in the most severely affected regions. Thousands of people are stranded, with images showing residents clinging to rooftops awaiting rescue.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency, describing the situation as the "most challenging natural disaster in our history" and appealing for international assistance.

India has dispatched 53 tons of relief materials to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu, including 9.5 tons of emergency rations delivered by two Indian Navy ships stationed in Colombo. The Indian Air Force has deployed three aircraft to transport an additional 31.5 tons of supplies, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, ready-to-eat food, medicines, and surgical equipment. This aid also includes two BHISHM cubes with a five-person medical team for on-site training, plus 80 Urban Search and Rescue specialists from the National Disaster Response Force to assist rescue operations.

An additional 12 tons of relief supplies aboard the Indian Navy Ship Sukanya, currently at Trincomalee, have also been dispatched to Sri Lanka.

In Kandy, Sri Lanka, residents face water shortages and are relying on bottled water from natural springs. Authorities warn that conditions may deteriorate as forecasts predict more rainfall in the coming days.

The catastrophic flooding and landslides affecting Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand have claimed over 1,200 lives, with more than 800 people still missing. Indonesia remains the worst-affected nation, where rescue teams struggle to reach isolated villages due to washed-out roads and collapsed bridges.