By NNN-LKNews
Â
Colombo : The European Commission has allocated a €15 million humanitarian package to help conflict-affected people in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu, India.
This new allocation, including a specific €3 million for food aid activities, will cover basic needs such as shelter, water, sanitation, food security and healthcare. Funds are channelled through the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.
This new allocation will meet the vital needs of the conflict communities in Sri Lanka, but will also improve access to water and sanitation for the Sri Lankan refugees living in Tamil Nadu, India.
Conflict victims will be supported through a wide range of humanitarian interventions – shelter, food, food security, water/sanitation, basic items, healthcare, education, livelihood support, protection activities and disaster preparedness programmes.
Projects will be implemented by the Commission's humanitarian partners already working in the field – NGOs, UN agencies and the ICRC.
Since 2004, the European Commission has given a total of €79 million in aid for victims of humanitarian crises in Sri Lanka, including €3 million of food aid and €42 million for the tsunami victims.
Since 1983, around 800,000 people have been internally displaced during almost 25 years of conflict. About 100,000 Sri Lankan Tamils have been housed in refugee camps in neighbouring India. –