Essential goods amounting to18  tonnes of aid for flood victims in Pakistan, were loaded into a C-130 aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force Base at Ratmalana this evening (August 7).

The aircraft carrying the consignment of relief goods, bound for Islamabad, is scheduled to take off from the Ratmalana Air Force Base during the early hours of today.

Aid worth over Rs.3 million of dry rations such as rice, sugar, lentils and tea will be dispatched to Pakistan where thousands have been stranded by the recent monsoon flood situation

All goods were arranged and delivered by Lanka Sathosa to the Air Force where all matters of logistics and supervision were handled efficiently. A seven member crew will be part of the operation to air-lift the consignment of urgently needed relief supplies to Pakistan.

This initiative of humanitarian assistance was implemented under the direction of H.E President Mahinda Rajapakse through the Ministry of External Affairs. It comes in view of the close bilateral ties between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.