Japan Extends Emergency Grant to Cyclone-Hit Sri Lanka

COLOMBO (News 1st); On 16th December, the Government of Japan has decided to extend an Emergency Grant amounting to 2.5 million USD through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to Sri Lanka in response to the devastating damages caused by the cyclone.

With this Emergency Grant, Japan will implement humanitarian assistance in such areas as food and non-food items through the IOM, the WFP and the UNICEF.

Through the IOM, Japan will provide an assistance of 1 million USD for 615 sets of shelters, including kitchen kits, wash kits, and bedding kits, for the severely affected households in Kandy, Badulla and Kegalle.

Through the WFP, Japan will provide an assistance of 1 million USD in emergency food assistance to support households residing in safety shelters in Kandy, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, and Kegalle, as four most affected districts. Under this assistance, households will be able to purchase essential food items.

In addition, through the UNICEF, Japan will provide an assistance of 500 thousands USD for water, sanitation, and child protection, targeting the severely affected areas in Central, Uva, Eastern, Western, and North Western Provinces. This support will contribute to ensuring safe water and preventing infectious diseases in evacuation centers by supplying emergency water and sanitation materials, repairing malfunctions in water supply facilities, and promoting hygiene practices to prevent waterborne diseases.

Separately from this emergency grant assistance above, the Government of Japan provided earlier emergency relief goods, such as tents, blankets, sleeping pads, water purifiers and jerry cans, through JICA to mitigate the difficulties of the displaced and distressed people in the affected areas, including Kandy, Matale, Badulla.

The Government of Japan also dispatched 31-member Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Medical Team, who set up a field hospital in Chilaw and provided medical services to a total of more than 1,250 patients from 3rd to 14th December.

These assistance above is a testament to the strong bond of trust and friendship that exists between Japan and Sri Lanka, and shows an unwavering commitment of Japan to helping the people of Sri Lanka in need. Japan stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka in this time of great difficulty. (END)