UNITED Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Sir John Holmes, who is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday evening and had discussions on the current situation in the North and United Nations activities there. The discussions were held in an atmosphere of cordiality and friendship.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa informed Sir Holmes of the progress of the humanitarian operation to rescue civilians and the efforts taken by the Government to provide all necessary facilities to the civilians arriving in Government controlled areas.
Sir John Holmes, who returned from a visit to Vavuniya to see the facilities at the welfare villages set up to receive the large influx of civilians from the No Fire Zone expressed his satisfaction over the facilities at the villages.
He informed the President that as the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator he would release US $10 million immediately to the Central Emergency Relief Fund. Another sum of US $ 10 million was released last week.
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona and the United Nations Resident Representative Neel Buhena were also present. (Courtesy: Daily News)
India Provides IR 1 Billion Relief
INDIA announces a grant of Indian Rs.1 billion for relief and rehabilitation for displaced Tamil civilians in the North, The Hindu reported yesterday.
Meanwhile, India extending an overwhelming humanitarian support to Sri Lanka set up an Indian funded hospital in Pulmudai and sent an additional batch of Indian doctors to Sri Lanka in March this year to provide medical aid to the displaced civilians.
A 52 member Indian medical team comprising 8 physicians and surgeons left for Pulmudai from Colombo on March 11 to open an emergency unit and this hospital to cater to the medical requirements of the IDPs being evacuated from northern Sri Lanka. Around 18 to 19 truck loads of equipment and other accessories went along with the Indian medical team to set up the hospital in Pulmudai.
Later, India deployed a ship with 40,000 family kits and food packs for the displaced people.
Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva who met the members of the Indian medical team before their departure to Pulmudai thanked the Government of India for extending its assistance at this juncture and said it symbolised the close friendship between India and Sri Lanka.
(Courtesy: Daily News)
Miliband Telephones FM: Britain Pledge 2.5 m Sterling Pounds
FOREIGN Minister Rohitha Bogollagama outlined to David Miliband, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the UK when they spoke yesterday that the foremost priority of the Sri Lanka Government is to ensure the safety of civilians entrapped in the North, and combat operations had reached its conclusion.
The telephone call was initiated by Foreign Secretary Miliband. Minister Bogollagama explained that the security forces hitherto had been engaged in a rescue mission of the entrapped civilians and would continue to do so since the LTTE had not made any attempts to release the persons being held hostage.
Foreign Secretary Miliband acknowledged this effort of the Government of Sri Lanka in protecting the entrapped civilians.
With regard to the humanitarian requirements, Foreign Minister Bogollagama outlined the international assistance received, which includes two field hospitals from the governments of India and France.
With the exodus of IDPs, they exchanged views on the related needs and Foreign Secretary Miliband informed that the UK had pledged an additional contribution of Sterling Pounds 2.5 million today. Minister Bogollagama pointed out that the resettlement of the IDPs in the shortest possible duration is a high priority of the Government of Sri Lanka.
While welcoming Foreign Secretary Miliband’s forthcoming visit to Colombo, the Minister outlined the details of the proposed programme. He also observed that the government of Sri Lanka wished to confine this visit on a bilateral basis to the Foreign Ministers of France and the UK. The British Foreign Secretary stated that he was looking forward to his forthcoming visit to Sri Lanka. Minister Bogollagama has extended an invitation to his Swedish counterpart to visit Sri Lanka in May this year at a mutually convenient time.
Minister Bogollagama also met today with Michael Foster, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department of International Development, UK, who is currently on a one day visit to Sri Lanka to assess the needs of the IDPs. In the context of his visit to the IDP welfare village in Vavuniya, Minister Bogollagama pointed out that the Government of Sri Lanka had done its utmost to provide the required facilities and would replicate the action taken in the Eastern province in the resettlement of the IDPs in the North.
He further explained that demining the area and developing the infrastructure are imperative for this resettlement process. The Minister further referred to the requirement of assistance in demining following the LTTE resorting to heavily mining the villages.
Under-Secretary Foster pointed out that the British Government can support the resettlement process in the North with its expertise. He further stated that the British government had sought the assistance of the Members of Parliament to send a message through the diaspora back to the LTTE seeking the release of the civilians held hostage. (Courtesy: Daily News)
