Foreign Aid - Report on how it was received from 22 countries.

A special program is currently underway to distribute humanitarian aid stocks, provided by 22 foreign countries and the World Food Programme (WFP) to the people affected by Cyclone Ditwa, in a systematic and transparent manner. This process is being overseen by the 'High-Level Foreign Relief (Supply) Coordination Committee' (HL-FRAC), appointed by the President for the management and coordination of this foreign aid.

This committee, operating under the chairmanship of Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retired), Deputy Minister of Defense, recently met at the Disaster Management Centre and made necessary decisions to make the relief operations process more efficient.

Aid stocks received from foreign countries at airports and ports are first securely stored at the Orugodawatta warehouse complex, and arrangements have been made to distribute them to the affected people through the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) via District Secretariats. This aid includes essential food items, medicines, technical equipment for the daily needs of the victims, tents for those who lost their homes, and specialized civil engineering equipment required for infrastructure reconstruction. According to statistics, 2161.72 tons of food items have been received from various countries, of which 1800 tons have already been distributed. Additionally, large quantities such as 26.5 tons of medicine, 14,750 tents, and 9,761 household items have been received, with the majority already distributed to the public. Furthermore, India has provided bridge construction equipment and 07 vehicles required for disaster operations.

To ensure transparency in this distribution process, reports are submitted to the President's Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office every three days, and the Deputy Minister of Defense emphasized that a formal audit of this will also be conducted in the future. Steps have also been taken to expand the capacity of the Orugodawatta warehouse complex and ensure its security.

In addition to material aid, relief teams consisting of 389 experts from 07 countries have arrived in Sri Lanka and provided human resource contributions since the onset of the disaster. These teams were engaged in essential services such as search and rescue, providing medical aid, emergency constructions like bridges, and water purification. Specifically, a team of 213 from India contributed to search, medical, and engineering efforts, while countries like the United Arab Emirates (76), Pakistan (47), and Japan (27) also made significant contributions to search and rescue operations. China and Italy assisted with geological observation and mapping, and the Swiss team supported water source purification.

The Deputy Minister of Defense stated that the President and the entire nation extend their gratitude and appreciation to all foreign states, their people, and the expatriate Sri Lankan community who supported Sri Lanka during this difficult time.