US contributes Rs350 mln for Sri Lanka flood relief

Jun 05, 2017 (LBO) - The U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Atul Keshap joined President Maithripala Sirisena to announce approximately 350 million rupees (.





3 million) in humanitarian assistance from the United States government and people to help victims of flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka.

The aid will be used to provide safe drinking water, hygiene kits, emergency shelter materials, home repair kits, and critical health care services to stave off diseases. A portion of the assistance will be provided through Sarvodaya, a Sri Lankan nongovernmental and charitable organization.



The assistance will be provided through the U.

S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The United States also will continue to support long-term projects to reduce the risks of future disasters. USAID has provided disaster-resilient water systems to ensure safe drinking water, developed flash flood warning systems, and worked with government and local communities to strengthen disaster response and management capacity.



The U.S. Embassy is monitoring the situation and continues to work closely with Sri Lankan government disaster relief authorities to identify further needs.