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SLBFE sets up Rs. 100 million emergency fund

by Manjula Fernando

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has set up a Rs.100 million emergency fund to be utilised for any contingency concerning the Sri Lankan employees in the war-rift Middle East, SLBFE Chairman Susantha Fernando said on Monday.

This is in addition to the Rs.50 million Fund set up by the Treasury under the direction of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last week.

The capital for the Emergency Fund has been allocated from the SLBFE Foreign Employees Welfare Fund so as to facilitate immediate release of cash, without the burden of formal procedures, if there was need for an emergency evacuation of 'war-zone' workers.

Commenting on the current situation he said "At present our employees in the Middle East are in no immediate danger but we are studying the situation closely." "Reports so far indicate that the nearly 160,000 Sri Lankan employees in Kuwait are also safe and in no immediate danger of their lives," he added.

Fernando said the Kuwait Government has already set up 24 safe camps mainly for foreigners living in their country.

The Chairman said even if the SriLankan Airlines has stopped operations to Kuwait since last week they will obtain assistance from organisations such as the United Nations humanitarian groups, International Organisation of Migrants(IOM), the ICRC and International Labour Organisation (ILO) during a sudden evacuation.

The Saudi Arabian government has agreed to issue transit visas to Sri Lankans in Kuwait during an emergency situation so that they can be transported by land to Saudi Arabia and airlifted to home from there.

The SLBFE has also set up a 24-hour information desk manned by three senior officials of the Bureau to provide and obtain news of friends and relatives working or residing in the Middle East. The Desk with close links with our missions in the Gulf region countries is headed by a Deputy General Manger.

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