The specially deployed Tri Forces Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Team returned home recently (26) at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) 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, which was led by Brigadier Punya Karunathilake. Senior officers representing the Ministry of Defence, Disaster Management Centre and the Tri Forces also joined in welcoming the team.
Responding swiftly to the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar earlier this month, this elite tri-service team was dispatched on April 5, as instructed by His Excellency 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.
On the very day of their arrival in Myanmar, they were deployed to Nay Pyi Taw Province, located nearly 450 kilometers from Yangon. There, they initiated critical disaster relief efforts, particularly in Pobba Thiri Township, an area deeply affected by the quake.
Working side by side with local authorities, the team swiftly established mobile medical clinics and conducted rapid situational assessments to identify urgent health needs among the displaced population. These medical missions 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.
Their unwavering dedication was reflected not only in physical care but also in psychological support and health education, helping traumatized communities begin the healing process. Local Myanmar officials lauded Sri Lanka’s timely intervention, acknowledging it as a symbol of the enduring friendship and mutual respect between the two nations.
As they arrived today at BIA, the returning team carried the gratitude of a nation and the admiration of a region. Their efforts exemplify Sri Lanka’s growing role and capacity in international humanitarian operations and disaster response, whenever it’s needed.
