Colombo: Sri Lanka donates Ceylon tea to quake-hit Turkey | Azad Times

Colombo: Sri Lanka’s government has donated a consignment of Ceylon tea to earthquake-hit Turkey, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.

The consignment was handed over to the Turkish ambassador in Colombo by the director general for emergency response of the ministry on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the ministry.

The donation was coordinated by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sri Lanka Tea Board, the ministry said.

Sri Lanka also plans to send a military contingent to support humanitarian operations in Turkey, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Friday.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on late Friday that the country’s death toll from Monday’s earthquakes has climbed to 20,213, bringing the total fatalities with neighbouring Syria to over 23,000, with tens of thousands injured.