Lankan disaster relief team in Japan

A 15-member disaster relief team deployed by the Sri Lankan government arrived in Japan on Thursday to carry out volunteer activities in the Ishinomaki area of Miyagi prefecture.

The team will mainly engage in mud and debris clearance operations and will assist in the tsunami struck areas of Miyagi prefecture for two weeks, in cooperation with the volunteer activities of 'Peace Boat', a Non-Governmental Organisation.

Speaking to the team on their arrival, Ambassador Admiral (Rtd) Wasantha Karannagoda stated that Japan is a close friend who extended valuable support when the tsunami struck Sri Lanka in 2004 and Sri Lanka must now extend its fullest support to the Japanese government and its people.

The Sri Lankan government has donated US dollars one million and three million tea bags to Japan.