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PM directs Customs to immediately clear essential food items in port
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed Sri Lanka Customs to immediately clear all essential food items currently in the port.
The prime minister has issued this directive during the Cost of Living (CoL) Committee meeting held on Sept. 24 via video conference, the PM’s Office said. He issued the directive to the Imports and Exports Controller General and the Director General of Sri Lanka Customs.
It had been decided during the meeting to ensure that the essential food items cleared from the port are distributed to the general public through the Sathosa outlets and through the importers of essential goods, expeditiously.
It was emphasized that the Ministry of Trade and agriculture officers should take responsibility to release rice and other essential food items to the market without any shortage.
Approval was also granted to the request made by State Minister D. B. Herath to obtain animal feed including maize from the international market under the existing system until the local maize crops are harvested.
Meanwhile during the meeting, Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena requested the Prime Minister to expedite the investigation into the complaint made by him regarding the allegations made by the former Executive Director of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) who resigned recently.
The prime minister made a phone call to the IGP at that moment and informed him to expedite the investigation, the PM’s Office said
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Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
at 12.30 p.m. 13 December 2025 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 13 December 2025 for Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts.
There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
Based on the prevailing disaster situation and the upcoming festive season, arrangements have been made to provide a nutrition allowance worth Rs. 5,000 to pregnant mothers.
This allowance, which will be provided only once, will be given to pregnant mothers who were registered at maternal clinics on or before 30 November 2025.
The distribution will take place through the Divisional Secretariat offices from 16 December, as a program of the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
The Situation Report released by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) at 6:00 AM today (13th December 2025) confirms that 640 persons have died and another 211 persons are missing due to flooding and landslides that took place in Sri Lanka within the past two weeks.
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