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| Sunday, 25 December 2005 |
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Still 140,000 litres of water is supplied to some affected families - SLRCS by M. P. Muttiah Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) President Jagath Abeysinghe briefing The Sunday Observer on the future activities of the Society stressed the need of a better coordination mechanism between Government institutions and the non-governmental organisations in the tsunami recovery efforts. He expressed the hope that President Mahinda Rajapakse would give a serious thought to establish such a higher authority. This would avoid delays in the construction of houses. Abeysinghe said that a Disaster Management Training Centre would be established in Katunayake. The Government had provided five acres of land to SLRCS and the Korean Red Cross would grant US $ 4.5 million to the project. "The aim of the centre is to provide training in disaster management not only to volunteers but also to civil society to face any disastrous situation. Temporary Nursing Training Centres that train 800 persons in Galle, Kurunegala and Ampara will be upgraded next year," he said. Abeysinghe said the SLRCS would provide US $ 150 million to Water Supply and Drainage Board to supply water to the 15,000 houses constructed by the SLRCS. President Mahinda Rajapakse initiated the project when he was the Prime Minister. "Water is the main problem faced by the people. Still the SLRCS supplies 140,000 litres of water per day to tsunami affected people. 550 boats have been manufactured with Taiwanese assistance and they would be handed over in the middle of January with the guidance by the Fisheries Ministry," he said. The SLRCS President said Vietnam Red Cross Society would provide deep-sea fishing boats. "SLRCS would sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Government next week to provide US $ 25 million through the World Bank to build houses," Abeysinghe said. He said that his Association had reconstructed or repaired 61 hospitals affected by the tsunami. During the first phase of the recovery efforts, SLRCS distributed non-food items to 365,000 persons, provided First Aid services to 36,000 and 75,000 people benefited through mobile health services, he said. |
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