From Italy with love

The Italian Government is sending a plane load of relief materials for flood victims in Sri Lanka following an appeal made by the Sri Lankan mission in Rome.

This is consequent to an appeal made by the Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Rome Hemantha Warnakulasuriya to the Italian Civil Protection Department and the Italian Foreign Ministry and the intervention of the Italian Ambassador in Sri Lanka. A plane load of materials containing Inflated Boats, Tents, Water Tanks, Purification Machines, Generators, Blankets and High Energy Biscuits. The Air Craft is expected to leave Rome on Thursday, January 27, 2011.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Italy had engaged the Rome based UN Agencies World Food Program and FAO.

The Embassy informed them of the extent of the disaster caused by the recent floods and the Ambassador Hemantha Warnakulasuriya submitted to the WFP (World Food Program) at the Briefing sessions for the year 2011 said "the Government of Sri Lanka wishes to express our sincere gratitude for the manner in which the WFP and other UN Agencies in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka responded in such a dynamic manner with food supplies at the beginning of this year through the immediate Response Emergency Operation.

The assistance to the North and East remains critical given that some of these areas are just emerging from the effects of years of conflict. The pledge to support for Protected Relief and Recovery operations (PRO) is encouraging with the earmark of US$ 40 million for this program." The people in Sri Lanka has fond memories of the Italian generosity during the time tsunami, when the first Plane of the Civil Protection Authority landed in Koggala in make shift airfield has the Koggala Airport had been partially destroyed. The Italian Public stuck by the magnitude of the Natural disaster caused by the tsunami contributed nearly 51 million Euros.

The money was used by the civil protection Authority Italy and may have been the only organization which used every euro collected by Italian Public to the utmost satisfaction of the Italian Public and the Sri Lankans. But Due to the economic downturn which effected Italy the initial reaction for assistance was slow but due to the excellent bilateral relationship the two countries had and direct intervention of Under Secretary Mrs Stefani Craxi and vice director general Asia Andrew Perugini Ministry of Foreign Affairs Italy the assistance was approved.

The Director of Emergencies of WFP David Kaatrud said Sri Lanka has launched a robust response, highly commendable emergency response including with the involvement of the military and specialized centres such as the Disaster Management Centre which commendably done with close coordination with the UN Agencies including the WFP to respond effectively to the relief assistance needs of the flood affected areas.

A flash appeal to the Donor Countries will be announced in Geneva to contribute to the disaster struck areas in Sri Lanka and other countries with similar situation where emergency relief is expected to alleviate the burden of the suffering masses.