Category: News

The United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has airlifted 880,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and 1,200 pulse oximeters to COVID-hit Sri Lanka, the USAID website said.

The donation is part of US efforts to send emergency medical supplies the Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to help save lives, stop the spread of COVID-19, and continue to meet the urgent health needs across South Asia, the agency said.

This new airlift follows three shipments of COVID-19 relief supplies by the U.S. Government to Nepal and the delivery of seven emergency air shipments to India to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic, it added.

“In Sri Lanka, this assistance includes 880,000 vital pieces of personal protective equipment and 1,200 pulse oximeters to support frontline healthcare workers and others most affected by the current outbreak. The United States and Sri Lanka have worked closely together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic since its outset, and USAID’s assistance has benefited millions of people in all 25 districts and nine provinces across the country, providing life-saving treatments, strengthening clinical care, and mobilizing critical supplies to bolster the response. The U.S. Government has previously provided $11.3 million to assist Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 response and recovery, including a donation of 200 ventilators to care for critically ill patients.”

This airlift exemplifies the United States’ whole-of-government response to ensure assistance reaches people who need it quickly. The State of California’s Office of Emergency Services generously donated commodities, USAID sourced PPE from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of State procured the aircraft being used for transport.

USAID is coordinating additional shipments for South Asia in the coming weeks.

USAID is also working closely with the private sector to help address the immediate health needs in the region. USAID will leverage its experience with a range of private sector partners—from manufacturers to investors, from multinational companies to small- and medium-sized enterprises—to meet the critical needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

An extraordinary gazette notification has been issued declaring services offered by Lanka Sathosa & Co-operative Wholesale Establishment, duties that come under Provincial Councils and all health services as essential services.

According to the gazette issued by the Secretary to the President, all services necessary or required to be carried out in connection with the supply, storage, distribution and regulatory activities of food, beverages including all other essential consumable items to the general public that are performed by Lanka Sathosa Ltd, Co-operative Wholesale Establishment, Food Commissioner Department, Department of Cooperative Development and Cooperative Societies, all services that are performed by or required by government offices under the Provincial Councils and all services to be performed or required in connection with health services have been declared as essential services.

The gazette has been issued on the directive of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in order to prevent any hindrances or disruptions for the conduct of ordinary daily life.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed officials to ensure the economy does not collapse.

He called on the Governors and District Secretaries to extend their fullest support to the continuation of the operations at factories and development projects.

The President also said that Governors and District Secretaries should personally intervene to maintain essential services and prevent any disruption to the lives of the people.

The President expressed these views at the monthly meeting held with the Governors and District Secretaries at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (02).

The President pointed out the importance of looking into the possibility of operating a factory or carrying out a development project uninterrupted in compliance with health recommendations instead of shutting them down at once when an infected person is detected at a factory or a project premises.

The challenges and problems faced by the public in the face of travel restrictions was discussed at length at the meeting.

President Rajapaksa said that although the Government had given instructions to maintain industries and essential services in compliance with proper health recommendations, there were shortcomings in the implementation of this initiative at divisional level.

The President instructed that the mechanism for distributing surplus fruits and vegetables purchased from the farmers at the divisional level should be properly implemented. He stressed that it was the responsibility of all stakeholders not to allow the agrarian economy to collapse.

He said that projects that are being implemented with local funds and foreign loan assistance should meet the relevant targets properly.

The President also instructed the Governors and District Secretaries to maintain direct contacts with State Ministers and relevant Secretaries in order to ensure the implementation of Government launched projects including the rehabilitation of 10,000 tanks, development of 100,000 kms of rural roads, establishment of 1,000 National Schools and housing, regional hospital, drinking water supply and renewable energy development projects.

President Rajapaksa also noted that the vaccination process is currently being executed in a scientific and sophisticated manner and added that he expects further support from the political authorities as well as the Governors and all public officials when facilitating necessary assistance to the health sector to run the operation smoothly and swiftly avoiding any inconvenience to the people.

President Rajapaksa said that the Government has decided to provide organic fertilizer to farmers free of cost and requested the Governors to provide necessary assistance to overcome the challenges in promoting organic farming. It was also stated that the government has planned to provide aid and facilitate loans at a concessionary interest rate via state banks to small-scale businesses and farmers’ associations for the production of organic fertilizer.

The Governors commended the commitment of the Government led by the President in efforts to contain the current pandemic while safeguarding the lives of the people and in making the country’s future successful despite overwhelming odds.

The District Secretaries pointed out that the gazetting of ports, railways, customs, fuel supply, public transport services, banks and local government bodies as essential services has greatly assisted them to carry out their duties.

The Governors of the Provinces, Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Government officials were also present at the discussion.

A former member of a UN expert panel on Sri Lanka, Yasmin Sooka, has questioned the appointment of former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jayantha Wickremaratne to the Office on Missing Persons (OMP).

Sooka alleged that the appointment of the war-time police chief to the Office on Missing Persons in Sri Lanka completes the militarisation of the transitional justice mechanism established under the previous government.

“It is hard to make this up – the man who was in charge of three police units named by the United Nations investigation as involved in mass enforced disappearances at the end of the war is now investigating the disappearances himself,” Sooka, who is now the Executive Director of the International Truth and Justice Project, said.

The Office on Missing Persons is charged with investigating the fate of tens of thousands of missing and enforced disappeared in a country said to have the second largest case numbers in the world.

“We will be writing to the UN Peacebuilding Fund and international donors asking them not to fund such a body that has become so compromised and also sending relevant United Nations entities and member states a confidential dossier on the problematic appointments,” Sooka said.

She also urged victim communities inside and outside Sri Lanka to write to the UN and other donors to urge them not to use their tax money to finance what she says has become a vehicle for impunity designed to cover up the Sri Lankan government’s past crimes.

Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith says those who came to power pledging to safeguard the country, are now dragging the country towards destitution.

Speaking during a media briefing in Colombo today, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said the present administration has failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people who voted for a new government to usher in a new era.

The Cardinal said they are disappointed in many aspects and the way in which the country is being governed.

He said they have serious concerns where the country is heading at present.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith noted millions of people wanted to change the path the country was heading adding however now they are even more disappointed.

The Cardinal said the present administration must take decisions that are favourable to the people and not just to a selected group.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said at present, the people are struggling to carry out their day-to-day activities due to financial difficulties.

He said the government is also struggling to procure vaccine doses needed to end the COVID-19 crisis, due to lack of funds.

The Cardinal said the people did not vote for the government to merely initiate development projects and to sell state assets.

He said therefore the government must renew its policies concerning religion, culture, economy and other matters that concern the general public.

Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also noted that the Attorney General had claimed that there was a conspiracy behind the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks and therefore such matters must be investigated thoroughly.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith added that the government must make a concerted effort to punish all perpetrators behind the Easter Attacks instead of staging media spectacles.