Tri-forces humanitarian team returns after Myanmar relief mission

The specially deployed Tri Forces Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Team returned to the island today (April 26) after the successful completion of their emergency relief mission in Myanmar. 

Major General Nazeer Majeed, Director General of the Directorate of Research Concept and Doctrine at Sri Lanka Army Headquarters, extended a warm welcome to the returning contingent at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. 

Responding swiftly to the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar earlier this month, the elite tri-service team was dispatched on April 5, as instructed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The mission was coordinated under the close supervision of Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) and carried out with the active facilitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Defence Ministry said on the very day of their arrival in Myanmar, the team was deployed to Nay Pyi Taw Province, located nearly 450 kilometers from Yangon. They initiated critical disaster relief efforts, particularly in Pobba Thiri Township, an area deeply affected by the quake.

The team had established mobile medical clinics and conducted rapid situational assessments to identify urgent health needs among the displaced population. The medical missions were focused on treating injuries, preventing disease outbreaks and supporting vulnerable groups, including women and children residing in temporary shelters such as the Ministry of Commerce complex, Lat Lok Toun Pagoda and Mashikhana Monastery.

The Ministry noted that the Sri Lankan team not only focused in physical care but also in psychological support and health education, helping traumatized communities begin the healing process. 

Local Myanmar officials had also lauded Sri Lanka’s timely intervention, acknowledging it as a symbol of the enduring friendship and mutual respect between the two nations, the Defence Ministry added.