He said that Sri Lanka had received 130 metric tons of canned fish from the World Food Programme (WFP) following a USD 7.4 million (Rs. 833 million) grant made by the government of Japan to the UN agency.

He was responding to The Island query whether Sri Lanka should have utilised these funds to meet some other needs of the displaced since they could have obtained stocks locally as fish production had recorded an unprecedented increase due to the removal of fishing restrictions.

The official said that as they had to provide three meals a day to the displaced, they would accept any food items given by the international community.

Kumarasiri said that the latest Japanese financial assistance had been utilised to procure 6,300 metric tons of rice and 130 metric tons of canned fish.

Although Kumarasiri said that the WFP was helping the government to feed 280,000 displaced, a press release issued by the WFP on July 14 estimated the total number of Sri Lanka beneficiaries at a staggering 1.2 million in all parts of the country.

The release followed the handing over of the latest Japanese donation to Basil Rajapaksa, MP and senior advisor to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Kumarasiri and Adnan Khan, WFP Representative in Sri Lanka. It quoted Khan as saying that they were facing a shortfall of USS 15.2 million to meet humanitarian needs in Sri Lanka.

According to the WFP, the Japanese donation would help provide 280,000 displaced with nutritional meals three times a day.

G. Piyasena, Secretary to the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry said though fish production had shot up after easing of restrictions in the northern and eastern seas, he couldn’t comment on the Japanese canned fish donation. Responding to our queries, he admitted that they hadn’t put in place a system to provide fresh fish for the displaced.