Italy to grant Rs. 125 Mn in-kind emergency contribution to Sri Lanka

In the wake of the crisis situation faced by Sri Lanka, the Italian government has decided to grant an in-kind emergency contribution of nearly Rs. 125 million to Sri Lanka for the purchase of medicine and medical equipment.

The contribution will be channelled through the Italian Bilateral Emergency Fund at the World Health Organization (WHO) and will allow payment to suppliers abroad directly as per planned procurement by MoH in line with the supply chain management process, the Embassy of Italy in Colombo said in a statement issued on Monday (April 25).

This emergency aid measure comes within the framework of the traditional strong partnership between Italy and Sri Lanka, the statement read further.

“In the past, Italy has always been ready to support Sri Lanka whenever the country was in need, including in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. In addition, Italy has supported initiatives aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector (ICEI/Institute for International Economic Cooperation project in the Moneragala area and ‘Smallholder productivity enhancement in Sri Lankan agriculture’ project, currently under discussion) and providing professional training to young Sri Lankans (‘SPOSA’ project for social workers and caretakers in the Chilaw area).”