HL-FRAC holds fourth session at Parliament on foreign disaster aid coordination

The fourth session of the High-Level Committee for Foreign Relief Aid (Supplies) Coordination (HL-FRAC) was held on December 19, 2025, at the Parliament complex, focusing on the effective management, security, and timely distribution of foreign disaster relief aid, under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd).

The committee reviewed its core responsibility of formalizing, managing, and efficiently distributing foreign aid received for disaster relief operations across the country. Special attention was given to the progress of appointed subcommittees, the digital data inventory system, and the importance of strong data security measures.

Discussions also covered staffing needs at the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) main warehouse and the development of a comprehensive internal audit plan to monitor the entire relief process. These steps were highlighted as essential to maintaining transparency and accountability in aid distribution.

The session further examined ways to streamline operations at the Orugodawatte relief warehouse and stressed the need for real-time monitoring of relief services to ensure faster response during emergencies. Addressing the meeting, the Deputy Minister emphasized that close coordination among all relevant agencies is critical to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches affected communities without delay and in a transparent manner.

The meeting was attended by committee members, senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, representatives from the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), and other relevant government authorities.