News
Japan’s delivers 728,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine

Over 728,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to Sri Lanka out of a total of over 1.4 million doses provided by the government of Japan through the COVAX dose sharing mechanism on Saturday. This is the third COVAX allocation to Sri Lanka, all being entirely donor-funded, with no cost to the country, Japanese Embassy in Colombo said yesterday.
The Japanese Embassy has, in a media release, said: “The first delivery of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility was 264,000 doses of AstraZeneca in March, followed by 1.5 million Moderna vaccines donated by the US earlier this month.
“The government of Japan’s donation is an important response to calls for dose-sharing through the COVAX Facility as an immediate measure to address shortages in vaccine supply. COVAX, the vaccine initiative, is the only global mechanism that distributes vaccines rapidly and equitably with the mission to help end the acute phase of the pandemic as quickly as possible. COVAX is co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO); GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance; and, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) with UNICEF leading on logistics. COVAX receives important bilateral contributions from donors who have been consistent supporters of the UN more broadly; and, the Facility also has important alliances with member countries, multilateral institutions, foundations, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, civil society organizations, manufacturers, and other stakeholders.
“The AZ vaccines are a significant contribution to Sri Lanka’s vaccination drive. The vaccine roll-out combined with public health and social measures reflects the Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to slow the pandemic down and put the country on track for a robust recovery.
“The Minister of Health, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, emphasised the key role the COVAX Facility and donors play in Sri Lanka’s fight against COVID-19. “The arrival of this batch of vaccines is the result of continuous advocacy over the past several months by the Government of Sri Lanka, WHO, UNICEF, and the United Nations. And of course, it would not be possible without substantial support from the Government of Japan, who recognised that it is in every country’s best interest to work together to accelerate vaccination, because no country is safe until every country is safe”.
The Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, Sugiyama Akira, noted that “as a long-standing friend of Sri Lanka, it is our great honour to provide through COVAX approximately 1.45 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in Japan to further bolster the vaccination programme in Sri Lanka to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all people in need across the country. Japan has also provided USD 16.2 million to Sri Lanka to assist its combat against COVID-19, including improving its cold chain system. Globally, Japan has pledged USD 1 billion to the COVAX facility to accelerate vaccination in developing countries. Japan will continue to stand in solidarity with Sri Lanka in our fight against this global pandemic.”
“Vaccination, alongside preventive measures against COVID-19 is key in the fight against the pandemic. In line with the National Vaccine Deployment Plan, these vaccines will help reach the most vulnerable and key frontline workers”, said UNICEF Sri Lanka Representative Emma Brigham. “These vaccines from Japan to Sri Lanka demonstrate the true spirit of the collective global responsibility required to subdue the pandemic.”
The WHO Representative to Sri Lanka, Dr. Alaka Singh said: “Japan’s donation is much appreciated as an exemplary demonstration of global solidarity for the pandemic response. The contribution is critical for fully vaccinating those who have already received the first dose of AstraZeneca. This would be an important milestone for President Rajapaksa’s laudable vaccination plan and puts Sri Lanka on track to lead on WHO’s call to each country to vaccinate 40% of their population by year end. WHO recognizes this as one of the key factors against transmission, along with critical reinforcement from public health and social measures.
UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said that “with the arrival of these vaccines, the COVAX Facility has provided Sri Lanka with more than 3.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines are from both donors earmarking allocations for Sri Lanka and the central allocation of doses provided to COVAX. My thanks to our colleagues from WHO and UNICEF Sri Lanka, who have worked tirelessly in supporting the Government to secure these vaccines. The UN in Sri Lanka is working closely with the Ministry of Health, in line with the National Deployment Plan, to ensure vaccines reach the most vulnerable within this evolving pandemic.”
News
UN asks govt. to vacate ‘remaining lands still occupied and used economically by the military’

Military-held land down to 9% in North and East
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has said that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, during discussions with the Sri Lankan government, stressed the importance of releasing the remaining lands still occupied and used economically by the military.
OHCHR has included updated information provided by the government on land releases in its reports to the Human Rights Council, the OHCHR said.
OHCHR team member Jeremy Laurence said so in response to The Island query regarding the HC’s call for release of land which both serving and retired officers considered unfair.
The Island posed the following question to the HC’s office: “At the conclusion of the UNHRC Chief’s visit to Sri Lanka recently, one of the issues he raised was the failure on the part of the armed forces to vacate public and private property held in the Northern and Eastern provinces. However, the military insists that approximately 91% of the total land held at the time of the conclusion of military operations, in May 2009, had been released. We would like to know whether the UNHRC Chief hadn’t been briefed by the government of Sri Lanka or the UN Mission in Colombo on the vacation of approximately 91% of the land held by the military in 2009.
The Island contacted OHCHR as suggested by the UN Mission in Colombo.
The military pointed out that of over 24,000 acres held in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi sectors in 2009, less than 2,500 acres remained in their hands. “We are down to the bare minimum. Further reductions will pose major challenges,” one retired officer said.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
News
Need to attend to sick wild elephants promptly discussed at high-level meeting

A high-level discussion on the urgent treatment of sick wild elephants was held on Monday (July 7) at the Ministry of Environment under the patronage of Minister of Environment Dr. Dhammika Patabendi and Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody.
Senior veterinary officers representing the Wildlife and Zoological Parks Veterinary Officers’ Association participated in the discussion alongside Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Rohitha Udawawala and Director of Veterinary Services of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Dr. Tharaka Prasad.
The focus of the meeting was to streamline rapid response measures to treat elephants suffering from illnesses in the wild and to ensure timely access to life-saving antibiotics and medical resources.
Commenting on the need for swift intervention, Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi said:
“We cannot allow delays when it comes to the treatment of our wild elephants, especially those suffering from life-threatening conditions. These majestic creatures are an integral part of our natural heritage, and it is our duty to act fast. We are committed to providing our veterinary officers with the tools, resources, and policy support necessary to carry out this responsibility efficiently.”
Discussions also focused on identifying infected elephants promptly, administering treatment without delay, and addressing any shortages in medical supplies such as antibiotics. The officials explored avenues to ensure logistical and infrastructural support for veterinarians working in the field.
Significant attention was drawn to the existing cadre shortages within the Department of Wildlife Conservation’s veterinary and technical teams. Plans were discussed to address these gaps with the approval of the Department of Management Services and the Ministry of Public Administration.
Additionally, the need to provide field veterinarians with appropriate technical facilities and mobility support was emphasized as a key priority in enabling effective on-ground operations.
The meeting concluded with an understanding that urgent procedural and administrative steps would be taken to fast-track recruitment, supply of medication, and operational improvements necessary to protect the health of Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population.
By Ifham Nizam
News
Navy seizes contraband pesticides and seeds in Puttalam and Kalpitiya

The Navy detected a significant haul of smuggled pesticides and seeds during operations conducted in Puttalam and Kalpitiya from 20 to 30 June, 2025. The separate operations also resulted in two dinghies and a lorry also being taken into custody, Navy Headquarters said.
In a search operation on 20 June, the Northwestern Naval Command’s SLNS Vijaya inspected a suspicious lorry near Alankuda Beach, Puttalam, resulting in the vehicle, along with 32 sacks of pesticide materials and seeds suspected to have been smuggled into the country, being taken into custody.
On 28 June, during another search near Ippantivu Island, Kalpitiya, naval personnel spotted and took into custody two dinghies carrying 15 sacks of pesticide materials intended for smuggling.
It is suspected that the smugglers abandoned the contraband, along with the lorry and dinghies, due to heightened naval surveillance. The seized items were handed over to the Katunayake Customs Preventive Office for further investigation and legal action.
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