Pakistan faced sharp criticism and diplomatic embarrassment on Monday after images emerged showing that part of its relief consignment sent to flood-ravaged Sri Lanka contained expired food and medical items. The incident drew widespread condemnation online and prompted Sri Lankan officials to flag the issue through both informal and official diplomatic channels, sources said.
Pakistan’s official social-media post declaring that it “stands with Sri Lanka today and always” backfired after users pointed out that the aid packets visibly displayed an expiry date of October 2024 (10/2024). Videos and photographs circulating online showed multiple boxes of expired rations arriving in Colombo as part of Islamabad’s assistance to the disaster-hit nation.
⚡ Pakistan has sent expired relief supplies to Sri Lanka.
This isn’t the first time either- Islamabad has a track record of forwarding old aid it earlier received from other countries or dispatching outdated consignments while labeling them as humanitarian assistance. pic.twitter.com/fqZGAYHMvT
— OSINT Updates (@OsintUpdates) December 2, 2025
According to Sri Lankan relief authorities, the expired goods were detected upon inspection of the consignment, rendering those items unusable at a time when the country is grappling with one of its most severe natural disasters in decades.
This is not the first time Pakistan has faced controversy over relief handling. In 2021, when India routed humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan through Pakistan following the Taliban takeover, consignments reached in a contaminated and damaged condition, according to earlier reports.
Sri Lanka’s Crisis Deepens
Sri Lanka continues to battle catastrophic flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, which has so far claimed at least 334 lives. Floodwaters remain dangerously high across Colombo, while landslide alerts are active in multiple districts. Thousands of people have been stranded, with visuals showing survivors clinging to rooftops awaiting evacuation.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency, describing the situation as “the most challenging natural disaster in our history,” and has appealed for urgent global assistance.
India’s Large-Scale Relief Operation
India has launched a major humanitarian effort under Operation Sagar Bandhu, sending 53 tonnes of relief material to Sri Lanka. Two Indian Navy ships delivered 9.5 tonnes of emergency rations in Colombo. Additionally:
Three Indian Air Force aircraft have airlifted 31.5 tonnes of supplies, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, ready-to-eat meals, medicines and surgical instruments.
Two BHISHM medical cubes and a five-member technical team have been sent for on-site training.
80 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), including specialised Urban Search and Rescue teams, have been deployed.
Another 12 tonnes of relief material has arrived at Trincomalee on INS Sukanya.
Regional Toll Surpasses 1,200
The disaster across South and Southeast Asia has taken a broader humanitarian turn. Catastrophic flooding and landslides in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand have resulted in over 1,200 deaths, with more than 800 people missing. Indonesia remains the worst affected, with rescue teams struggling to reach isolated villages after roads and bridges were washed away.
In Sri Lanka’s Kandy region, water supply disruptions have forced residents to rely on bottled water collected from natural springs as more rainfall is forecast.
(Source: NDTV)
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