The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society continues to receive contributions from various organizations and NGOs in support of the on-going drought relief operation in Hambantota yesterday, the Marketing Director of the Celon Prima Ltd., Mr. Lin Sin Hui handed over a donation of 20,000 kgs of flour to the Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), Mr. E. S. Bulathsinghala at its National Headquarters. The Fritz Companies Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd., Ribbs N & T (Pvt.) Ltd. and various other individuals have made donations of rice, dhal, sugar, packets of sprats & soy, children’s cloths, etc.

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society commenced its first phase of relief distribution on 31st August at Lunugamvehera division in Hambantota. An initial number of 1,293 families from Bogahaweva, Padavgama, Devranwehera, Ranawaranawa, Ilukpalassa, Una Athweva, Uda Mathtala of Lunugamvehera Divisions received the supplementary food support of 25 kgs of rice, 10 kgs of dhal, 20 kgs of sugar and 4 kgs of flour, each sufficient for an average family of six for 1 1/2 months. The distribution of drought relief had been organized by the Red Cross volunteers under the leadership of the Red Cross Hambantota Branch Secretary, Mr. K. Premathilake.

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society received Rs. 5 million under the Emergency Relief appeal of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Geneva. This follows a vulnerability and capacity assessment done by the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society’s National Field Co-ordinator and trained disaster prepared volunteers of the Red Cross. The Head of South Asia Regional Delegation of the International Federation (IFRC), Mr. Bob MacKerrow also visited Sri Lanka on a fact-finding mission in July.

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, in collaboration with other NGOs and Government authorities, plans to implement a systematic distribution of relief items among the most vulnerable people in the districts of Hambantota, Moneragala, Ratnapura and Badulla. The lorries containing the relief items collected in 6 Relief Collecting Centers in Colombo and suburbs will leave Colombo on 8th September.