GOSL appeals for drought assistance

[August 24, 2004 - 6.20 GMT]

Government’s representatives today met Donor Agencies to discuss measures to hasten the ongoing drought relief program.

The Secretary to the President briefed the donor agencies about the extent of the damage and the Government’s efforts to ease the problems of nearly 700,000 drought-hit families in 16 Districts, which is about 16% of the total population.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva appealed to the Donor Agencies to assist the Government in its emergency relief programme He thanked Australian Envoy and World Food Programme (WFP) for their assistance of 10,000 Metric Tonnes of wheat flour.

The Donor Agencies pledged their fullest co-operation to the Government of Sri Lanka and sought further information. The Secretary to the Ministry of Triple-R was assigned to coordinate with the Aid Donors.

The WFP handed over the first stock of wheat flour to the Secretary to the President and the officials of the Human Disaster Management Council.

Ministers Maithripala Sirisena and Milroy Fernando, whose constituencies of Polonnaruwa and Puttalam are two of the sixteen drought-affected Districts, were also present.

Full text of the appeal of the Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconciliation is as follows:

Drought in Sri Lanka

Many parts of Sri Lanka are presently facing a severe drought due to the failure of monsoonal and inter-monsoonal rains. In addition, the groundwater table in many Districts has gone down. A total of 698,592 (2.7 million people) have been affected by a severe drought. The drought has affected the standing crops both food and cash crops and the livestock consisting of dairy cattle, beef cattle, goats and other domestic animals. As of today, 155,205 acres of paddy crops have been affected by the drought. This has resulted in people losing their employment, livelihood and other economic activities. Drought has also led to an outbreak of various diseases in epidemic proportions.

To save the population from this disaster, the Government requires a sum of Rs. 708 million to assist the families affected by the drought. A sum Rs. 200 million has already being released District Secretariats of the twelve (12) worst affected for relief measures.

The Government of Sri Lanka appeals to the Donor Community for urgent assistance to save the people from the impending disaster.

The Government seeks assistance in the following areas:

1. Water bowsers (immediate/short-term/long-term)

 (The bowsers to be made available to local authorities and the District Secretaries for providing drinking water urgently to the affected population) 

2. Water containers (large/medium/portable sizes)

3. Repairing/Rehabilitation of existing drinking water wells. Construction of drinking water wells and tube wells

4. Supply of dry rations such as flour, dhal, sugar, edible oil etc.

5. Supply of water pumps

6. Supply of medicine (for treatment of affected families due to drought condition)

7. Transport facilities (for the transport of food items and other equipment to the remote villages and also for the transport of sick and vulnerable group for medical treatment)

The number of Districts and the families affected by the prevalent drought is shown in the table below:

Contact person

M. S. Jayasinghe

Secretary, Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconciliation, 177, Galle Road, Colombo 03.

Tel: 94-11-2382067, 2382068, 0712-261375, Fax: 94-11-2382066

E-mail: secmdrrn@sltnet.lk

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Last Updated Date: August 24, 2004  - 6.20 GMT.