USAID chief pledges $20 million in additional help for Sri Lanka

 

The Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on Sunday announced a $60 million funding package for Sri Lanka while highlighting that assistance alone will not put an end to the country’s problems. 

USAID chief Samantha Power said it would provide $40 million for fertilizer imports and $20 million for humanitarian needs to tackle the country’s financial crisis. “Yesterday I announced that the United States is providing an additional USD 40 million to get fertilizer into the hands of as many as one million farmers ahead of the upcoming planting season. 

“Today I am pleased to announce an additional USD 20 million to provide humanitarian assistance to Sri Lankans battling hunger and malnutrition throughout the country.”  With these new announcements the United States has now committed nearly USD 240 million since June this year to meet the urgent needs of Sri Lankans, Power said.