Foreign Office says aid delivery delayed by 60 hours, India denies blocking airspace
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry reported that its humanitarian aid mission to Sri Lanka was delayed by more than 60 hours due to India’s denial of full flight clearance.
A special plane carrying aid from Pakistan to Sri Lanka awaits permission to enter Indian airspace. The ministry said the partial permission granted by India on Sunday evening, after a 48-hour wait, was operationally impractical, being limited to just a few hours and not valid for the return journey.
The Foreign Ministry described the delay as “a serious obstacle to this urgent relief mission” for the “brotherly people of Sri Lanka”. Pakistan sent the aid to meet Sri Lanka’s humanitarian needs, but the prolonged wait has raised concerns about the timely delivery of essential supplies.
India has denied all allegations that it blocked airspace for Pakistan’s humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka.
India continues to block humanitarian aid from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. The special plane carrying humanitarian aid from Pakistan to Sri Lanka continues to be delayed for more than 60 hours while awaiting flight clearance from India.
The partial flight authorization issued by…
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) December 2, 2025
Read: Sri Lanka: Flood waters rise and death toll rises to 69
At least 153 people have been killed in Sri Lanka after landslides and floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah, another 191 people are missing and more than half a million people have been affected across the country.
According to the Disaster Management Center, more than 78,000 people have been transferred to nearly 800 relief centers, most of them set up in schools.
Thousands of police, soldiers and soldiers are distributing food, clearing roads and bringing stranded families to safety.
Flooding in Malwana and other low-lying areas near Colombo has left most homes underwater and without power, authorities said.
The country’s weather authorities have forecast persistent rain over the weekend, raising fears of further flooding in already inundated areas.
Local businesses including pharmacies, supermarkets and fabric stores are inundated, heightening concerns about financial losses as traders worry about long-term recovery.
