|
The
United
States
is
contributing
an
additional
$6
million
for
de-mining
activities
in the
North to
help
expedite
the
resettlement
of the
Internally
Displaced
persons
(IDPs)
in their
original
homes.
This
funding,
through
the US
Department
of
State’s
Bureau
of
Political
and
Military
Affairs
Office
of
Weapons
Removal
and
Abatement
(State/PMWRA),
was
granted
to four
NGOs
currently
working
on
de-mining
activities
in Sri
Lanka to
increase
their
de-mining
capacity
and
expand
their
work
over the
next
twelve
months.
In
addition
to this
new
funding,
the
Humanitarian
Mine
Action (HMA)
team
visited
Sri
Lanka to
identify
how the
US can
assist
the Sri
Lankan
military
in its
humanitarian
de-mining
efforts
in the
North.
The U.S.
military
will
provide
equipment
and
training
to the
Sri
Lanka
Army for
humanitarian
de-mining
in the
Northern
Province.
The
US
Government
has
provided
more
than $68
million
for
humanitarian
assistance
to Sri
Lanka in
2008 and
2009,
including
more
than $42
million
in
emergency
food aid
and more
than $11
million
in
emergency
non-food
relief.
Most of
this
assistance
has been
directed
to serve
those
displaced
by
terrorism
in the
North.
|
Contact Information: Send
mail to