News
FAO to scale up emergency and resilience interventions in Lanka
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is set to scale up its emergency and resilience interventions in Sri Lanka given the current unprecedented economic crisis in the country. In its recent overview for the period of June to December 2022, the organisation said it plans to provide 201,148 households with a total of 10,057 tons of urea for paddy farming while providing another 53,000 farming households with unconditional cash transfers of $ 84 each.
In addition to this, the FAO is also set to provide 997,000 paddy farming households with 36,000 tons of triple superphosphate for the upcoming 2023 Yala season. The organisation will also support fishing households by providing cash transfers of $ 141 each allowing the families to meet their immediate food security needs. The FAO will also support communities by helping them set up 2,500 backyard gardens and facilitating capacity-building activities on improved nutritional and dietary practices, to enhance food production and nutrition at the household level.
The FAO in its report said humanitarian needs in Sri Lanka have continued to rise sharply as a result of political and economic upheaval in the country.
“Nearly 40% of the population of Sri Lanka depend on agriculture as a primary source of income. The ongoing multidimensional crisis is posing an enormous threat to their livelihoods and disrupting the national food system,” it said adding that agricultural production is in a downward trend since mid-2021 due to the unavailability of fertilisers and other essential production inputs while livestock keepers are unable to access feed and basic veterinary supplies; and fishers are unable to access fuel for motorised boats.
“Four in every ten households experienced a reduction in their incomes, and one in every two households are currently relying on negative coping mechanisms to cope with the lack of food or money to buy it. The window of opportunity to support Sri Lankan farmers and their communities is narrowly time-bound.
“Immediate action to provide farmers with quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides will enable them to protect their livelihoods and feed their communities. It is also critical to provide the most vulnerable farmers, livestock keepers and fishers with cash assistance to enable them to restore their productive assets and fast-track their recovery,” it noted.
The FAO has distributed 2,381 tons of urea to 47,619 farming households while providing unconditional cash transfers to 15,021 households disbursing a total of approximately $ 1.4 million. The beneficiaries included vulnerable green gram farmers and fishers in the poorest areas of Ampara, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa, Hambantota, Jana, Kilinochchi, Matale, Monaragala, Mullaitivu, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam and Trincomalee, it said.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports to establish the proposed National Higher Performance Centre for atletes.
News
State patronage for the cremation ceremony of the late deputy prelate (Anu Nayaka Thero) of the Sri Laka Ramangya Maha Nikaya, Gatambe Rajopawanramadhipatha, Siri Chandawimala Wanshalankara, Chandrakeerthi Sri Amarawansha, Sadhdharmawageeshwara, Shasanashobhanna Most Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimalabhidhana Thero
The cremation ceremony of the late Deputy Prelate (Anu Nayaka Thero) of Sri Laka Ramangya Maha Nikaya,
Gatambe Rajopawanramadhipatha, Siri Chandawimala Wanshalankara, Chandrakeerthi Sri Amarawansha,
Sadhdharmawageeshwara, Shasanashobhanna Most Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimalabhidhana Thero who passed away on 18.10.2026 is scheduled to be held at the Gatambe Urban Council playground on 21.10.2026.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the joint resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Governments and the Minister of Buddha Shasana, Religions and Cultural Activities to conduct the cremation ceremony with state patronage.
The Suraksha Student Insurance Program has been initiated with the primary objective of the creation of the necessary environment for the students who encounter various obstacles due to various health issues to overcome barriers and continue their education without any interruption.
The students studying in government schools, government approved private schools, Pirivenas and Assisted special schools are eligible to obtain the benefits under this program.
The Cabinet of Ministers, decided to grant their approval for the resolution furnished by the Prime Minister, in her capacity as the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, to revise and implement the currently enforced agreement regarding the aforementioned Suraksha Student Insurance Program between the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation for the period from 01-09-2026 to 31-08-2027,
with the inclusion of the following new benefits as well.
• Providing the opportunity to claim benefits up to Rs. 75,000/- for repairing hearing accessories and for the service charges incurred thereof.
• Providing the opportunity to claim benefits up to Rs.20,000/-for the students who are taking medicines in long term for the diseases such as for chronic kidney diseases and Chronic
Inflammatory Arthritis.
• Providing the opportunity to claim benefits up to Rs.20,000/- for the expenses incurred for the tests Malignancy Screening Test for Skin Cancer, Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD), Screening Test for Osteoporosis, Screening Test for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV.
• Revising ‘Cancer Treatment’ under the critical illness category to ‘Cancer Treatment and related Testing’, and covering expenses incurred for major surgeries required for hip, shoulder, and knee joint replacements due to sudden accidents, as well as PET Scans, under the critical illness category.
• Providing the opportunity to claim an amount of Rs. 100,000/- under the accidental category for student fatalities occurring due to sudden accidents during activities organized by institutions under the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, and conducted under the supervision of educational authorities (such as educational terms/excursions and sports meets, etc.) either within or outside the school.
Establishment of the National Higher Performance Centre
State patronage for the cremation ceremony of the late deputy prelate (Anu Nayaka Thero) of the Sri Laka Ramangya Maha Nikaya, Gatambe Rajopawanramadhipatha, Siri Chandawimala Wanshalankara, Chandrakeerthi Sri Amarawansha, Sadhdharmawageeshwara, Shasanashobhanna Most Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimalabhidhana Thero
Implementation of Suraksha Student Insurance Program for the Year 2026/2027
Environmental laws will be enforced equally against everyone
President pays last respects to Most Venerable Kappetiyagoda Siri Wimala Thera
Shafali receives demerit point for breaching Level 1 of ICC code of conduct
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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