India is sending a consignment of 1000 metric tonnes of rice and 100,000 tablets of HCQ to Madagascar in response to an urgent appeal for assistance to deal with the humanitarian crisis in the south of the Indian Ocean island country caused by severe drought.

The humanitarian assistance is being delivered onboard Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa, which will leave with the food and medical assistance on March 3 and is expected to reach the Port of Ehoala in Madagascar between March 21-24.

The prompt Indian assistance to Madagascar was conveyed on Monday by External Affairs Minister  S. Jaishankar in a phone conversation with the Foreign Minister of Madagascar Dr. Tehindrazanarivelo Djacoba A.S Oliva.

During the phone conversation, Jaishankar recalled the excellent bilateral ties of friendship between India and Madagascar and that India has always been among the first responders when it comes to assist the people of Madagascar in such a humanitarian crisis. In September 2018, a consignment of 1000 metric tonnes of rice was delivered on-board an Indian Naval vessel to Madagascar. Indian Navy was the first to respond when Cyclone Diane struck Madagascar and prompt assistance was delivered under Operation Vanilla by INS Airavat in January 2020. In March 2020, INS Shardul visited the port of Antisiranana and delivered 600 tonnes of rice as HADR assistance to Madagascar from India for dealing with heavy floods in the Northern region of Madagascar.

Jaishankar assured the Foreign Minister of Madagascar that as a maritime neighbour across the Indian Ocean, the Government and people of Madagascar can always count on the support and solidarity of the Government and people of India. The two Foreign Ministers also discussed other issues of mutual interest. During this trip, INS Jalashwa will also have on-board an Indian Naval training team which is being deployed in Madagascar for capacity building and training of the Malagasy Special Forces for two weeks.INS Jalashwa will also call at Port Anjoun in the Republic of Comoros where it will deliver a consignment of 1000 metric tonnes of Indian rice.

The supplies of food assistance and support for capacity building to the friendly countries of Madagascar and Comoros are in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR and India’s time-tested role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region, report Indian agencies.