NEW DELHI, SEPT 15: India on Sunday launched “Operation Sadbhav” to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, as the three nations reel from the devastating impact of Typhoon Yagi. The operation is part of India’s commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) within the ASEAN region, in line with its “Act East Policy.”
Typhoon Yagi, considered Asia’s most powerful storm this year, has caused massive flooding and destruction in Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. The storm made landfall over a week ago, leaving more than 170 dead in Vietnam and around 40 in Myanmar.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that humanitarian relief worth $1,000,000 was sent to Vietnam and $100,000 to Laos. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced that 10 tonnes of aid, including dry rations, clothing, and medicines, were dispatched to Myanmar aboard Indian naval ship INS Satpura.
Additionally, a C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) transported 10 tonnes of relief supplies to Laos, including generators, water purification items, hygiene supplies, mosquito nets, blankets, and sleeping bags. Meanwhile, 35 tonnes of aid, consisting of water purification equipment, containers, kitchen utensils, solar lanterns, and blankets, is being sent to Vietnam.
Jaishankar emphasized India’s solidarity with the affected nations, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “India launches #OperationSadbhav. Demonstrating our solidarity with the people affected by Typhoon Yagi, India is dispatching aid to Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos.”
The MEA highlighted that the operation underscores India’s close ties with Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. “India has extended assistance to the government of Vietnam, providing relief to communities in northern Vietnam,” the MEA said, adding that a consignment of 35 tonnes of humanitarian assistance was airlifted to Vietnam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously conveyed his sympathies to Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, while Jaishankar extended solidarity to Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.
In Laos, where floods and landslides have caused widespread damage, affecting around 40,000 people, India sent 10 tonnes of relief supplies, including water purifiers, hygiene kits, and blankets. These supplies were airlifted from India onboard a special aircraft.
The Indian Navy also mobilized rapidly to assist Myanmar, sending humanitarian aid from Visakhapatnam to Yangon. The Eastern Naval Command coordinated HADR operations, including the deployment of a naval warship with drinking water, rations, and medicines for the affected areas.
“This rapid mobilisation demonstrates the Navy’s capability to swiftly respond to humanitarian crises in the region,” said Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal. (PTI)
