Colombo, July 14: The United States has assured Sri Lankan government that it will provide all the humanitarian assistance required to resettle the Tamil civilians in the country’s north displaced due to war against LTTE rebels.
“The US Government will work together with the Sri Lankan Government to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to resettle the (Tamil) IDPs in their original homes and bring back the past glory to the Northern Province,” said James Moore, America’s acting ambassador to Sri Lanka.
Moore said this after donating a consignment of medical items on Sunday to uplift the health facilities for the Tamils housed in the welfare camps in Vavuniya.
“It is a donation of medical equipment supplies, ambulances, beds for the people in Sri Lanka for the Internally Displaced. We appreciate the collaboration with your (Sri Lankan) ministry and bringing the shipment in and moving it quickly upto the North,” an official release quoted Moore as saying.
“It is part of my government’s continuing commitment to help meet the immediate humanitarian needs of these IDPs and also the longer term commitment we have to assisting in the rebuilding and revitalisation of Northern Sri Lanka,” he said.
Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the items received by Sri Lanka will be distributed among 20 hospitals in welfare villages in Vavuniya. Priority has been given to Vavuniya and Cheddikulam hospitals.
Meanwhile, the government of Saudi Arabia has donated a consignment of goods worth Rs 300 million Sri Lankan rupees to be distributed among the IDPs in North.
The consignment of tents and bed sheets, among other things, were brought to the island on two occasions recently from the gulf nation.
The Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka handed over these consignments to the ministry of Nation Building.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is also providing a consignment of food relief for the displaced persons in the North.
“This food donation will provide temporary relief to approximately 300,000 displaced persons in the camps and will support their return to their homes as safely and quickly as possible,” a US Embassy statement said here.
In 2008 and 2009, US government has donated emergency food worth about 43 million dollars to benefit people in the North and the East.
Moore said the US Government supported the “desire” of the Sri Lankan government to help those displaced by the conflict to return to their homes safely and rapidly so they can rebuild their communities.
“My government is also committed to providing significant assistance in the critically important area of demining,” Moore added.
–Agencies–