Immediate relief for flood victims
The Economic Development Ministry launched an accelerated programme
to provide immediate relief for the people displaced by the torrential
rains and floods in the island.
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Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa helps prepare
meals for the flood affected. Disaster Management Minister
Mahinda Amaraweera and Child Development and Women's Affairs
Deputy Minister M L A M Hizbullah are also in the picture. |
The programme launched under the Yali Pibidemu (Re-awakening project)
and Devana Praja Sanwardhana livelihood improvement project of the
Economic Development Ministry covers 16 districts. They are Batticaloa,
Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Badulla, Monaragala,
Hambantota, Galle, Matara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kegalle, Ratnapura,
Matale and Nuwara Eliya.
About 259,889 persons belonging to 70,290 families affected by the
floods have been provided disaster relief under the supervision of
Re-awakening project Director, Engineer SK Liyanage. Project officials
of the Economic Development Ministry in the respective districts have
been deployed to coordinat by District Secretary and Disaster Managers.
The programme is activated under Economic Development Minister Basil
Rajapaksa's guidance. In the North and East, 4,200 community
coordinators are engaged in disaster relief work, according to
Divisional Secretaries.
Vavuniya District secretary Bandula Harischandra said Economic
Development Ministry officials' assistance was invaluable in mitigating
the effects of the disaster, which claimed 42 lives. Nine people are
still missing, he said. The ministry is providing relief for 24,675
people belonging to 7,276 families in 124 temporary shelters.
The ministry is also coordinating to repair and rebuild 6,216 houses
destroyed by torrential rains and gales. |
