Sri Lanka nears final phase of foreign disaster relief distribution

Sri Lanka’s High Level Committee for Foreign Relief Aid Coordination said the distribution of foreign disaster relief supplies has reached its final phase following a meeting chaired by Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) in Colombo yesterday (February 26).

The High Level Committee for Foreign Relief Aid (Supplies) Coordination met at the Deputy Minister’s office to review the ongoing process of distributing disaster relief assistance received from foreign countries and organizations to relevant government institutions.

Ensuring transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency remained the main focus of the discussions. Committee members held detailed talks on maintaining proper procedures and transparency during the remaining stages of the distribution process.

Further instructions were issued regarding the remaining relief goods stored in warehouses. Officials were advised to identify the needs of institutions and speed up the appropriate distribution of these items.

Attention was also given to the accuracy of the data management system developed to manage the receipt, storage, and distribution of foreign relief supplies. Relevant authorities were instructed to carry out necessary audits to ensure the integrity and reliability of the data system.

In addition, directives were given to transfer specialized equipment and items provided by foreign partners for disaster relief and rescue operations to the Tri Forces for operational use.

The Deputy Minister stressed the importance of strong coordination among all agencies involved, noting that effective inter-agency collaboration is essential to successfully complete the relief distribution process.

He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring efficiency, accountability, and responsiveness in managing foreign disaster relief assistance.