60 food lorries leave for North

Quick humanitarian relief for displaced in Killinochchi, Mullaitivu :

COLOMBO: Arrangements have made to expeditiously dispatch 60 lorries with essential food items to the North where people have been displaced due to military operations Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, Minister Rishard Bathiudeen said.

"This decision was taken on Monday at a special meeting presided by MP and Senior Advisor to the President, Basil Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, the Minister said.

This emergency decision was taken to provide quick humanitarian relief measures to the displaced in the Killinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, he said. Sixty lorry loads consisting of dry rations, drinking water, sanitary requirements will be dispatched to these areas.

Empty lorries returning to Vavuniya from Mullaitivu will be loaded with essential food items and sent to welfare centres where IDPs are living. Lorries reaching Vavuniya will be under the direct control of the Government Agent and the full complement of essential items requested by Government Agents will be made available, Bathiudeen said.

The Minister said arrangements are under way to dispatch another 100 lorry loads of essential items to the displaced persons in this area by next week. Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal, Donald Perera, Essential Services Commissioner General Divaratna, UN World Food Program Director Neil Buhne, Representatives of World Food Programme and Ministry Secretary A. C. M. Razik also participated in the discussion.