News
UNFPA donates hygienic kits for needy women and girls
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Colombo officer presented prepositioning relief supplies as a life-saving strategy for women and girls in Sri Lanka.
A UNFPA release said: As the third wave of COVID-19 sweeps across the nation, the monsoon rains and flooding have further exacerbated the risks for women and girls in particular.
When an emergency strikes, UNFPA prioritises its work on reaching the most vulnerable, particularly pregnant and lactating women and girls of reproductive age, by providing them with the necessary items to fulfill their basic needs in the midst of the crisis.
As part of this response, Ritsu Nacken, UNFPA Country Representative handed over 2000 prepositioned Dignity Kits and Maternity Kits on Tuesday to Maj. Gen. S. Ranasinghe, Director General of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) in the presence of J. M. S. Jayaweera – Director (Preparedness Planning), DMC and Sharika Cooray, National Programme and Policy Analyst – Women’s Rights & Gender of UNFPA.
Acknowledging this support, Maj. Gen. S. Ranasinghe stated, “We’re pleased that UNFPA is supporting us to ensure that women and girls’ hygiene and sanitation are addressed during emergencies.”
These dignity and maternity kits are carefully tailored to suit pregnant mothers and women of reproductive age, and curated to help women and girls maintain proper hygiene during emergency situations and provide a range of other essential items.
The kits worth approximately LKR 13.1 million, which is prepositioned in partnership with Oxfam in Sri Lanka, are part of the UNFPA regional pre-positioning initiative to support countries to respond to emergencies effectively.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. 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.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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