Press Release
24 May 2007
UK gives £1 million to help victims of conflict in Sri Lanka and protect aid
workers
The UK will give £1 million to help over 300,000 Sri Lankans made homeless by
the surge in violence since last year, Gareth Thomas, the Minister for
International Development, announced today.
Some of the funds will also be used to help improve security conditions for
hundreds of aid workers, particularly those working in the North and East of Sri
Lanka where fighting is fiercest. In 2006 a total of 28 humanitarian staff were
killed in Sri Lanka, including 17 officials working for the international
charity Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger) in a single incident. An
estimated 1400 civilians have been killed over the past 18 months.
Gareth Thomas said:
“The daily cycle of violence is having a catastrophic effect on the lives of
hundreds of thousands of people across the island. All sides must put an end to
the violence and breathe life back into the 2002 peace agreement before more
lives are lost.
“The UK continues to work with others to make life more bearable, but people
will only feel safe to return to their homes when dialogue replaces gunfire.”
The new funds will be shared between several agencies including the Red Cross
and the UN who have a strong presence in Sri Lanka. They are expected to help
provide clean water, tents and support the work of health centres.
Over the last 12 months the UK has provided more than £9 million in emergency
aid for Sri Lanka through the European Commission. The UK has also provided £1
million through the
 UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, which provides aid for
humanitarian emergencies.
In addition to more than 600,000 currently displaced by the conflict a
further 250,000 people remain homeless following the 2005 Asian Tsunami.
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Notes to Editors
- If you would like to speak to Gareth Thomas about the announcement please
contact Yasser Mehmood in the DFID press office at the number below.
- In September 2006 the UK gave $1m to the International Committee of the Red Cross
and the UN to help victims of the conflict in Sri Lanka.
- For further information about DFID's work in Sri Lanka
contact the DFID press office in London on 020 7023 0600 (24 hour number).
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