USD 1 million needed daily for Sri Lanka's displacement camps, says World Vision

USD one million is required daily to provide food and water to almost 300,000 conflict survivors who are housed in a string of camp settlements in northern Sri Lanka, says World Vision.

"Funding is becoming a huge concern for aid agencies. Most have already used up a large chunk of their existing relief budgets responding to the crisis," said Suresh Bartlett, World Vision Lanka's National Director.

The cost of providing essential food and water is around USD 3.50 per person per day. But this does not take into account the provision of shelter, medical care, or children's schooling for those in the camps.

"The International Donor Community should not let the politics of giving, or not giving to Sri Lanka, affect the flow of funding that is urgently needed to assist tens of thousands of children and their families. It is imperative that we start to rebuild the lives of those who have been ravaged by conflict and to meet the specific needs of children in particular," said Bartlett. Read more ...

Australia boosts Sri Lankan aid by $10m

Australia will provide a further $10 million in humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the conflict in northern Sri Lanka.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said on Friday the money would be distributed through United Nations agencies.

Mr Smith said the money would be used to provide water, sanitation, shelter, food and health care.

Australia has provided a total of $23.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka since December last year. Read more ...

SRI LANKA: EMERGENCY RELIEF FOR THE DISPLACED

UMCOR's Sri Lanka office is working on the ground with other humanitarian aid organizations to provide emergency assistance to thousands who are being forced to flee from intense fighting in the northern region of Sri Lanka.

Thanks to an umbrella grant from the US Agency of International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), UMCOR is reaching the most vulnerable to provide 60,000 emergency kits that include water, glucose, and biscuits as well as help build 4,400 emergency shelters and 800 duplex-toilets for displaced people fleeing to Vavuniya. Read more ...

Caritas pledges support for people of Sri Lanka

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has pledged NZ$50,000 to support civilian victims in Sri Lanka's civil war, as the government closes in on Tamil Tiger rebels in the north.

Caritas Director Mike Smith says the funds will contribute to a Caritas Internationalis appeal for NZ$4.35 million to help 100,000 people with food, water, medicines, shelter and trauma counselling.

Mr Smith says it's extremely distressing that the civil war has come to this point with hundreds of thousands of civilians lacking protection. "Our partner Caritas Sri Lanka reports that tens of thousands remain trapped in rebel-held territory, while more than 130,000 have fled to government-run camps where military forces are preoccupied with security and fears of rebel infiltration," says Mr Smith. Read more ...