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| Sunday, 2 January 2005 |
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Unilevers seventy five year bond with Sri Lanka cemented Unilever Sr Lanka and its employees join hands to provide relief to the extent of Rs 100 Mln to victims of last Sunday's tidal disaster. In the aftermath of the death and destruction caused by the tidal waves that struck the country on Sunday morning, Unilever Sri Lanka and all its employees rallied round immediately to help the affected, living upto the saying that 'the only cure for grief is action'. The need of the hour was to provide clean water, cooked food and basic essentials to those displaced. As a first step, all employees of Unilever pledged to donate a part of their monthly salaries. Together with the company contribution a starter fund of Rs. 15 million was assured. Immediate arrangements were made with the Sri Lanka Air Force to airlift one thousand packets of cooked food each day for one week to remote and inaccessible parts of the affected areas. The Lifebuoy water bowser left the company premises with clean water for distribution from Kalutara to Hambantota. Using the company's extensive distribution network, relief supplies have already been distributed directly to the affected areas of Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Vavuniya and Trincomalee districts. The relief packages contained essentials such as drinking water, rice, sugar, Lipton tea, Sunlight soap, Signal toothpaste, Marmite, plastic buckets, towels, feeding cups, sleeping mats and other basics. Virtually all employees helped by spending long hours into the night not only organising the relief effort but also helping to physically pack the goods. Teams of employees also volunteered to take the relief supplies directly to the people affected and are even today busy distributing the relief supplies with the help of the company distributors and their staff. Expressing shock and grief at the devastation caused, Unilever Sri Lanka's Chairman Ehsan Malik said, "We will do everything within our means to help ease the burden. What the company and its people have done so far is just the beginning. I have been in touch with our parent company Unilever and have received their fullest backing to continue the good work. We will be immediately donating a further sum of Rs. 25 million to the Government's relief fund. Unilever is also supporting reconstruction and rehabilitation projects with donations upto Rs.100 million. This once again reasserts Unilever's deep commitment to the people of Sri Lanka - an association cherished for over 70 years". |
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