The second phase of relief distribution for the drought affected families in Hambantota district by the Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) commence Thursday.

An SLRC spokesman while calling for continued commitment to the drought affected said the recent appeal by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) had attracted funds from various international donors.

A donation of Rs. 10 million from the Norwegian Government, Rs. 291,000 from the Colombo International School and Rs. 3.6 million from CORDAID are among the donations received by the Red Cross.

"This is the first instance that the International Federation of Red Cross received a large donation from the CORDAID in Sri Lanka, the largest humanitarian aid agency in Netherlands which has recently established an Emergency and Rehabilitation Programme Office in Sri Lanka, with the aim of supporting local agencies and providing assistance to the people affected by natural and man-made disasters. We are extremely grateful for the contributions from the Norwegian Embassy, CORDAID and the Colombo International School, amidst others. With little or no rain reaching the most drought affected villages, we are committed to maintain the food rations to these 3500 most vulnerable families for the entire six months programme. We hope that the initial outpouring of the public support to supplement the government’s actions will not disappear as the situation makes the lives of the most vulnerable more desperate in the coming months..." said Mr. John Gwynn, Resident Representative of the IFRC Sri Lanka.