Essentials sent for Eastern IDPs

Rajmi Manatunga and Irangika Range

COLOMBO: The Government yesterday allocated Rs 1.5 million to provide emergency relief to around 3,200 civilians who have been displaced due to recent LTTE attacks on Eastern villages.

"We have released funds to local authorities to fulfil the requirements of the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) including cooked food, water and sanitation facilities," Disaster Relief Services Minister Ameer Ali said.

He said a consignment of dry rations and tents to be used as temporary shelter also left Colombo yesterday.

The Government has provided over 52,000 kg of essential items including rice, dhal, tea, milk powder, sugar and noodles for the utilisation of the IDPs in Kantale. Lorries carrying with these essential items left Colombo yesterday.

According to Ali, nearly 3,200 civilians who fled the Serunuwara, Mahindapura, Agbopura, Sirimangalapura and Kallaru areas following the terrorist attacks are residing in Kantale. The displaced have been accommodated at the Kantale Agrabodhi temple, the Bathiyagama Primary School and the Raja Ela Seevali Vidyalaya.

Meanwhile, three relief teams are also working in Vakarai, Valachchanai and Batticaloa addressing the needs of civilians who have fled the uncleared area in Vakarai and entered the Government-controlled area.

The Minister said a special store to distribute essential items has been set up in Welikanda for the benefit of the Vakarai displaced. A senior official of the Ministry of Diaster Relief Services said these items will be distributed to IDPs through the Divisional Secretary in Kantale.

He said essential items will be provided with the assistance of the World Food Programme while the Ministry provides canned fish, spices, household equipment and shelter equipment for the need of IDPs. "The Ministry will monitor the food stocks in the area to prevent any shortage," He said.

Medical facilities are also being provided by the medical team in Kantale Hospital to IDPs with the assistance of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry.

"We are on alert on day-to-day food requirements of the IDPs and the Presidential Secretary is directly involved in implementing this process properly," he said.

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Goods for Jaffna

Hathoon Sheriffdeen

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Consumer Co-operative Society's Federation Ltd. (COOPED) sent the break-bulk essential goods vessel Ruhunupura to Jaffna to fulfil the needs of people in the northern province during the Christmas season, Chairman U. K. D. Palitha Rohana said.

Ruhunupura which left the Colombo Port on December 9 will reach Jaffna tomorrow.

"We have sent 1,500 metric tonnes of rice, 500 metric tonnes of sugar, 500 cases of mosquito coils, 150 metric tonnes of chillie and other essential items," Rohana said.

He said the Shipping Corporation and Essential Services Commissioner arranged for this shipment for COOPED.

COOPED has begun collecting commodities from the local market and are also importing them to fulfil the people's needs, he said.

The Government has allocated Rs. 150 million for COOPED to buy rice from farmers and millers through Multi Purpose Co-operative Shops. "COOPED store has stored 3,000 metric tonnes of rice. Through this we can control the price fluctuation in the rice market islandwide," Rohana said.