U.S. tops $10 million for IDP Relief
[Friday, September 14, 2007 - 10.45 GMT]  

The United States assistance for immediate emergency relief funding for conflict-displaced in Sri Lanka amounts to US $ 10 million for 2007, with recently announced $ 2 million in such funding, which is part of a $24 million worldwide package announced last week in Washington.

The funding, from the U.S. State Department’s Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund will support the work of the UN High Commission on Refugee (UNHCR) and NGOs to protect and provide assistance to Sri Lankan internally displaced persons and refugees. This funding will support programs to provide protection, emergency shelter, non-food relief items, water and sanitation, camp management, reception services for Internally Displaced People (IDPs), and special projects for returnees, stated the US Embassy in Colombo.  
  
The Embassy statement quoted U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake saying “These emergency funds from Washington are necessary and timely…when the Government faces a great challenge to ensure that the fundamental needs of conflict-displaced Sri Lankans are met, and to resettle them back into their homes as soon as possible. The American government wants to assist in this effort.”
  
Through its Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), USAID provided $3.8 million in 2007 to assist vulnerable conflict-affected populations in Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Jaffna Districts.  Funds to these districts went toward emergency relief supplies, nutrition, protection and water & sanitation, and are administered by USAID partners, including UNICEF, the U.N.’s World Food Programme, and Save the Children.  
  
In addition, the USAID Food for Peace program provided 17,500 tons of commodities in August 2007 valued at $5 million will benefit 1.4 million people.  An additional $8.9 million worth of in-kind commodity contribution will arrive later this year.

    




   

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Last Updated Date: September 14, 2007 - 10.45 GMT