The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), has donated $6 million (Rs 720.5 million) for non-food aid assistance to provide short-term, life-saving interventions for IDPs in northern Sri Lanka.

This is in addition to USAID`s recent announcement of a $15 million (Rs 1.8 billion) donation of food aid to the U.N. World Food Program.

`I am pleased that USAID can provide this short-term relief, which complements our substantial food aid donations to assist the civilians affected by the conflict in the North,` stated USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn.

`The Government of Sri Lanka has stated its commitment to return people to their homes as quickly as possible, and our aid supports that intention. By helping to meet people`s immediate needs while they are temporarily away from home, our funding will keep people safe and healthy while the Government prepares for their return,` she continued.

USAID has granted the $6 million to the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. UNICEF has been given $1.7 million (Rs 204.15 million) to support nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene projects in IDP centers across the North, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been granted $880,866 (Rs 105.68 million) to support mobile health centers in Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya and areas of eastern Sri Lanka.

In addition, USAID provided $3.5 million (Rs 420.26 million) to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for an umbrella grant to quickly disburse funds for the most urgent humanitarian needs in the North and East.

From USAID funding, UMCOR has provided the following grants:

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$200,000 (Rs 24.02 million) to IOM for 700 temporary shelters and bathing areas for 5,600 IDPs in Vavuniya.
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$180,592 (Rs 21.67 million) to Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB) for emergency shelters for 4,000 IDPs in Vavuniya.
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$183,290 (Rs 22 million) to CARE for 800 emergency shelters at Menik Farms for 3,200 IDPs.
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$277,825 (Rs 33.35 million) to The Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) for 1,500 personal hygiene kits, 1,300 baby kits, and two water bowsers.
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$160,365 (Rs 19.25 million) to ASB for toilet facilities and cleaning supplies for 16,000 people.
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$80,445 (Rs 9.65 million) to Medical Teams International (MTI) to provide five health emergency response kits filled with enough bandages, medicines, and basic supplies to treat 50,000 patients.
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$54,837 (Rs 6.59 million) to World Concern to provide emergency relief supplies for 800 medical evacuees from the No-Fire-Zone.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided development and humanitarian assistance in developing countries worldwide for nearly 50 years. Since 1956, USAID/Sri Lanka has invested nearly $2 billion to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka.

Courtesy: Embassy of the United States - Sri Lanka