Several lorry loads of food and other essential items for flood relief collected by the people of North arrived in Gampaha yesterday.

Lorries arrived with banners displaying the words, "To people of Gampaha with Love". The food that began arriving since Wednesday was received by the Gampaha Additional District Secretary, W. A. D. P. Lakshman.

Commenting on the receipt of food items from the North, Gampaha District parliamentarian and Minister of Investment Development, Basil Rajapaksa expressed his heartfelt thanks to the people of the North for reciprocating the kind gesture by the people of the South who donated generously by providing relief to thousands of internally displaced people soon after the end of the war against the LTTE last year.

Governor of North Major General G. A. Chandrasiri said that the first few lorries had already reached Gampaha and more lorries are being loaded with food and other essential items to be dispatched to Gampaha, the worst affected district due to the recent rains and floods.

He said people especially those who were resettled recently had volunteered to handover food items to be sent to Gampaha.

The relief items from the North are being coordinated through the Grama Niladaris by District Secretaries of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and vavuniya and distributed to the people through the Gampaha District Secretariat.