FAO requests $ 4.6m from UN flash appeal for East

By Shanika SRIYANANDA

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has requested US $ 4.6 million from the UN Flash Appeal for the flood hit Eastern province to support resumption of agriculture activities including provision of seeds and repair of damaged tanks and irrigation systems.

FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives Patrick T. Evans told the Sunday Observer that the FAO would continue to work to raise additional support while working closely with the Government to address urgent needs, especially to continue vegetable production and other field crops prior to the yala season.

"The FAO has received US $ 900,000 from the Flash Appeal while another US $ 500,000 from FAO emergency funds is in the pipeline plus another US $ 950,000 from donors that looks likely to materialize in the next weeks", he said.

According to the FAO Chief, the organisation was still carrying out the damage assessment and had received an additional US $ 20,000 from FAO Headquarters to further support assessment activities being carried out with the government.

" There is physical flood damage and losses due to prolonged inundation, but there is also a significant reduction in productivity in some areas due to heavy rains occurring during crop flowering times which reduced pollination", Evans said.

He said the government was currently encouraging immediate resumption of vegetable cultivation around the country as there was a shortage and price inflation of vegetables".