One billion Indian rupee grant for relief work for displaced in north

(April 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Indian Prime Minister has approved a grant of Rs. 100 crores (Rs 1 billion) for providing humanitarian relief assistance to innocent civilians who have been evacuated from the conflict zone, a press release from the Indian External Affairs Ministry said.

The details regarding utilization of this assistance are being worked out, the ministry said.

Meanwhile,the British Government has announced an allocation of 2.5 million Sterling Pounds or Rs. 432 million to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced persons in the north, the British High Commission in Colombo said.

“To help meet the urgent needs of this traumatised population, the UK is committing a further £2.5 million in humanitarian assistance which will be allocated in the coming weeks. It is also vital that the displaced people are able to return to their homes at the earliest possible opportunity, ” visiting Minister for International Development, Mike Foster said.

“In order to ensure that the most urgent needs of all civilians are met, humanitarian agencies must be given access to both the Vanni region and to the camps. The Sri Lankan government must also fast-track visas for humanitarian workers and the movement of all humanitarian goods into the affected areas. Currently, desperately needed supplies are being delayed by administrative procedures.”

During his visit, Mike Foster visited Vavuniya where he saw two of the transit camps where arrivals from the conflict zone are first accommodated.

“It is clear that the present facilities for those escaping the conflict are unable to cope with such large numbers of people. The new arrivals urgently require every type of assistance, from food and water, to adequate shelter and access to health care and sanitation”, he noted.

-Sri Lanka Guardian