Japanese Ambassador in Colombo Akio Isomata yesterday (27) signed a grant contract for a demining project under the scheme of “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)”, with Kevin Klerx, Head of Support Services of the Mines Advisory Group(MAG), Ms. Hannah Picton, Programme Manager of the Hazardous Area Life-support Organization(The HALO Trust) and Ananda Chandrasiri, Director/ Programme Manager of the Delvon Assistance for Social Harmony (DASH).

The text of the Japanese embassy press release: “The Government of Japan has provided USD 1,343,202 (approx. Rs. 400million) for these projects, which will be implemented by MAG, The HALO Trust and DASH, to support their humanitarian demining activities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. Under this new project, almost 400,000 m2 of land is expected to be made mine-free, allowing more than 3,100 people to return to their land and approx. 22,000 people in the surrounding areas to expand their economic activities.

Japan has been a major donor to demining activities in Sri Lanka since 2002, and the total assistance amounts to over USD 49 million.”

The statement quoted Isomata as having said that: “Today’s signing of three (3) grant contracts is another testament to Japan’s commitment to continued assistance to the people of Sri Lanka, especially to those in the conflict-affected areas. At the same time, we also have to strengthen assistance to the affected communities for the enhancement of livelihoods and improvement of necessary infrastructure, in order to help the people of the communities to move on to the next stage of socio-economic development in the North and East in a seamless manner. I hope Japan’s continued assistance to the demining efforts of Sri Lanka will further strengthen the strong bond of trust and friendship that exists between Japan and Sri Lanka.”

A delegation from the Clingendael Institute in the Netherlands recently visited the Pathfinder Foundation’s headquarters at Riverpoint, Peliyagoda, to discuss with Milinda Moragoda, Founder of the Pathfinder Foundation, and representatives of the Foundation.

The delegation was accompanied by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka, Iwan Rutjens. Discussions focused on developments in the Indian Ocean region, including maritime security, trade routes, logistics, and regional connectivity. The meeting also examined the Netherlands’ role as a major European logistics hub and how elements of the Dutch experience could provide useful insights for Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen its position as a maritime and logistics hub in South Asia. Opportunities for cooperation between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands in these areas were also discussed.

The Clingendael Institute, based in The Hague, is a leading Dutch think tank specializing in international relations, diplomacy, and strategic affairs. Present from the Netherlands side: Ms. Rosaline Lantink – Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, Mr. Tobias Koster – Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, Mr. Namal Perera – Senior Policy Advisor, Embassy of the Netherlands. Dr. Daya Silva, Executive Director, and Mohammad Jawad, Director, represent the Pathfinder Foundation for the discussions.

Community Health Specialist Dr. Thushani Dabarera yesterday said about 50 meningitis patients were receiving treatment in hospitals and the total number of meningitis cases were nearly 200.

Dr. Dabarera said so at a Health Ministry media briefing.

“We have issued special guidelines to all health sectors and institutions to prevent the disease from spreading further within schools and communities.”

Dr. Dabarera said that though they noted a slight drop in the number of cases, the rainy season may aggravate the situation.

She urged the public to strictly follow health advice and adopt preventive measures.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, the main symptoms of the disease include high fever, headache and vomiting, with symptoms usually appearing between three to seven days after exposure to the virus.

Authorities said the disease mainly spreads through contaminated food and water, while it can also be transmitted through droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes, as well as through close contact.