Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-10-17

Providing relief assistance to the people affected due to the dry weather conditions

- The Government has implemented a programme presently, for providing a dry ration for the families who have been deprived of their livelihoods due to the extreme dry weather conditions and facing severe economic difficulties. Under this programme, the dry rations have been given to 740,000 families of 19 Districts. Although, several Districts have received a considerable rainfall, it is observed that the rainfall so received is not adequate enough to overcome the situation in the areas where extreme dry weather conditions prevail and also that the families who are affected due to the drought will need a considerable amount of time to rebuild their livelihoods.

As such, the proposal made by Hon. Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, the Minister of Disaster Management, to continue to give the dry rations for those families further and for the Ministry of Disaster Management to secure the funds necessary for the purpose, was approved by the Cabinet.