Sri Lanka enhances Colombo Port for Red Sea Crisis response

The Sri Lankan government announced its determination to enhance operational efficiency at the Colombo Port in response to the escalating demand for container cargo operations due to the emergency situation in the Red Sea. The Colombo Port has witnessed a significant increase in transshipment volumes since the beginning of January, attributed to the rerouting of ships following heightened attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen-based Houthi rebels. Instead of using the Suez Canal, vessels are now choosing an extended route around Africa. Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Ports Minister, mentioned that he had instructed officials to optimize the operations of the Colombo Port to accommodate the surge in container cargo traffic, considering the emergency situation in the Red Sea. By mid-January, the Colombo Port had experienced an 80 percent increase in volume, handling nearly 200,000 containers. Sri Lanka Port Authority officials anticipate handling around 7 million containers or TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2024. In 2023, the Colombo Port managed 6.9 million TEUs, compared to 6.86 million TEUs in 2022. Officials revealed ongoing developments at the eastern and western container terminals of the Colombo Port to increase its TEU capacity from 8 million to 8.5 million. Addressing the increased operations at the Colombo Port, Tharaka Balasuriya, the state minister of foreign affairs, emphasized that this development should be viewed in the context of safeguarding the freedom of navigation in international waters, a principle that must be protected consistently. Simultaneously, the Sri Lankan Navy committed to deploying a vessel to participate in international operations against Houthi rebel attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea.