Sir John Holmes meets President:

UN releases US $ 10 million to relief fund

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Sir John Holmes, who is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday evening and had discussions on the current situation in the North and United Nations activities there. The discussions were held in an atmosphere of cordiality and friendship.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa informed Sir Holmes of the progress of the humanitarian operation to rescue civilians and the efforts taken by the Government to provide all necessary facilities to the civilians arriving in Government controlled areas.

Sir John Holmes, who returned from a visit to Vavuniya to see the facilities at the welfare villages set up to receive the large influx of civilians from the No Fire Zone expressed his satisfaction over the facilities at the villages.

He informed the President that as the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator he would release US $10 million immediately to the Central Emergency Relief Fund. Another sum of US $ 10 million was released last week.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona and the United Nations Resident Representative Neel Buhena were also present.