Japanese aid over Rs. 50 m for Vanni civilians

The Japanese Government yesterday provided assistance worth over Rs. 50 million to Sri Lanka to meet the requirement of the civilians who sought protection of the Security Forces.

Presidential Senior Advisor Basil Rajapaksa on behalf of the Government accepted the donation from Japanese envoy in Sri Lanka Kunio Takahashi. Nation Building Ministry Secretary W.K.K. Kumarasiri was also present. This stock consisting of 560 tents, 10,000 sleeping mats, 4000 plastic sheets, 30,000 jerry cans and 1,000 mosquito nets was immediately despatched to Vavuniya.

This is the additional assistance to the Emergency Grant Aid totalling US$ 4 million provided through UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM and ICRC as announced earlier this month. A stock of 6,255 MT of rice and 132 tonnes of Tuna canned fish purchased through Japan's Food Grant Aid will also arrive shortly in Colombo and will be distributed among displaced civilians through the World Food Program.