Death compensation for Lankan victims in Lebanon

The Lebanese Government had decided to pay compensation to the families of the Lebanese victims who were killed during the air attacks.

Many Sri Lankans were stranded in Lebanon and more than 6,000 Sri Lankans were repatriated under the sponsorship of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

During the conflict in Lebanon last year, following the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by the Hisbullah militant group.

On the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Lebanon, M. M. A. Farouque held talks with the relevant authorities of the Lebanese Government and negotiated a settlement of payment of compensation to the families of Sri Lankan victims as well.

Following this decision, the Lebanese Government agreed to pay Lebanese Pounds 100 million to the nextof-kin of all five victims, which is equivalent to Rs. 7,400,924.70 (approx). Each family of the Sri Lankan victims would thereby receive Rs. 1,480,184.94 (approx).

Sri Lanka's mission in Lebanon has now collected the money on behalf of the victims' families and has sent it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It was handed over on Friday to the Public Trustee Ms. J. M. J. P. Bandara, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rohitha Bogollagama, at a ceremony at the Ministry, to be distributed among the legal heirs of the victims, as per Government regulations, in the presence of the families of the Sri Lankan victims, Foreign Ministry sources said.