Pakistan is facing fresh diplomatic embarrassment after a shipment of humanitarian aid sent to Sri Lanka was found to contain expired medical supplies, food packets and other essential items, officials in Colombo said.
The aid was dispatched as emergency support after Sri Lanka was hit by landslides and flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah. But when the consignment was inspected on arrival, several boxes were discovered to be expired or unusable, raising “serious concern” within Sri Lanka’s disaster management and foreign affairs departments. Colombo has formally conveyed its displeasure to Islamabad.
The incident has come as a major setback for Pakistan, which has been trying to strengthen its presence in the Indian Ocean region. Sri Lankan officials said the shipment has raised questions about the quality and seriousness of Pakistan’s relief efforts.
This is not the first time Pakistan has faced criticism for its aid. During the 2015 Nepal earthquake, it sent beef-based ready-to-eat meals to the Hindu-majority nation, drawing widespread outrage.
The latest episode has sparked anger on Sri Lankan social media, with many calling the expired supplies “an insult” and demanding accountability. Authorities in Colombo now plan to tighten inspection rules for all incoming relief consignments, especially from countries that previously sent substandard aid.
Meanwhile, governments and aid agencies in Indonesia and Sri Lanka continue rushing assistance to hundreds of thousands affected by severe flooding, which has claimed around 1,200 lives across four countries.
