Japan supports humanitarian de-mining in North and East

COLOMBO:The Japanese Government has provided US$ 3.2 million. (Rs. 358 million) to five International Non Governmental Organisations (INGOO) to accelerate de-mining activities in the North and East.

In addition to this, Japan has contributed more than US$ 12 million for mine clearance activities in the past to Sri Lanka.

The five INGOs are the Danish De-mining Group, the Halo Trust, the Mines Advisory Group, the Norwegian People’s Aid and the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action. The grants were provided for one year for de-mining in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.

According to the National Steering Committee for Mine Action, humanitarian de-miners have removed over 161,415 including Anti-Personnel Mines, Anti-Tank Mines and Unexploded Ordnances and cleared over 128 million square meters of land since humanitarian de-mining activities commenced in the North and East.

The grant funds will be utilised for continuation and strengthening of de-mining such as personnel costs of de-mining staff and support staff, management of de-mining activities, maintenance of cost of de-mining equipment, purchase of manual de-mining equipment etc. More than 2,000 locals have been continuously engaged to contribute towards a mine-free Sri Lanka through the de-mining programme supported by Japan.

The Japanese Government has been supporting to implement projects from grassroots level to large infrastructure projects throughout Sri Lanka, to

benefit Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities through its official development assistance for over 50 years.

Signing of the grant contracts took place at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations & Strategic Studies yesterday between Japanese Ambassador Kiyoshi Araki and representatives of the INGOs Organisations.

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, W.K.K. Kumarasiri, Secretary, Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, M.S. Jayasinghe, Senior Advisor, Embassy officers, representatives of organisations and Government officials were also present.