Britain donates 75 m Sterling pounds for Tsunami relief

 
Britain has donated 75 million pounds (approx. 150 dollars) towards the relief effort of the tsunami hit Asian region, the British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Stephen Evans said.

He was addressing a press conference yesterday at the British High Commission in Colombo along with U.K. Government John Adlan and Mandeep Kaur Grewal of the Department for International Development (DFID) and Wing Commander David Cooper of the Royal Airforce who was flown here to assist in the relief effort.

"Ordinary people in the UK have also donated over 100 pounds as a private donation for those affected in the region," he said. Speaking of the relief efforts the High Commissioner said that during the emergency phase the U.K. government has already sent essential items such as medicine, food, water, clothing materials and etc to Sri Lanka. “The rehabilitation construction phase for those who had been affected by the disaster is very important at this moment. Providing them a livelihood and an adequate shelter is a must now. Especially many people were making their livelihood from tourism in these affected areas. We will continue our assistance in these rehabilitation projects along with the government," he said. He also praised the government's effort in reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in the affected areas. According to the High Commissioner, about 1000 British tourists have been holidaying in the Southern Province at the time tsunami struck.

 He acknowledged the support provided by the local people who themselves were affected, to bring the tourists back to Colombo. He confirmed that 10 British tourists in Sri Lanka were killed in the Tsunami tidal waves. John Adlan of DFID explained the role played by them in assisting the tsunami victims in Sri Lanka as follows.