Connect with us

News

UNICEF launches programme to help pre-school children

Published

on

UNICEF Sri Lanka has launched a special relief package for pre-school children and mothers hardest hit by the current economic crisis., UNICEF said.The initiative, conducted in collaboration with the Colombo Municipal Council and Public Health midwives, will provide much-needed relief to the urban poor and most disadvantaged families, facing severe hardship and struggling to put food on their table.

“As food inflation and the price of basic commodities continues to increase, more and more families are struggling” said UNICEF Sri Lanka Representative, Emma Brigham. “The lack of affordable nutritious food has a life-long impact on children, especially those in their early years of life. The programmes, being launched today, are an important step to bring some relief to food insecure families, but much more is urgently needed.”

With food inflation rising over 80 percent, in June, and continuing to increase, critical support, in the form of regular monthly cash transfers of LKR 5000, is being provided to about 3,000 mothers with newborn babies in the Colombo Municipal area, as a way of bringing some relief to those who are food insecure, over the next three months. The mothers will also receive critical information on breastfeeding and nutrition for children.



Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Foreign News

Thousands flee floods after dam collapse near Nova Kakhovka

Published

on

By

An aerial image shows water pouring through what appears to be a breach in the dam (pic BBC)

BBC reported that thousands of people are being evacuated downstream of a major dam which has been blown up in Russian-held Ukraine.

President Zelensky said 80 towns and villages were at risk of flooding after the destruction of the dam at Nova Kakhovka, which he blamed on Russia. Water is surging down the Dnipro river and is said to pose a catastrophic flooding risk to the city of Kherson.

Russia has denied destroying the dam – which it controls – instead blaming Ukrainian shelling. Neither Ukraine or Russia’s claim has been verified by the BBC.

The Kakhovka dam is crucial in the region. It contains a reservoir, which provides water to farmers and residents, as well as to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. It is also is a vital channel carrying water south to Russian-occupied Crimea.

Video footage shows a torrent of floodwater gushing through a breach in the dam. Several towns are already flooded, while people in areas further downstream were forced to flee by bus and train.

Around 40,000 people need to be evacuated, Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktoriya Lytvynova said on Ukrainian television – 17,000 people in Ukraine-controlled territory west of the Dnipro River and 25,000 on the Russian-controlled east.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Sagala Ratnayaka leads Sri Lanka delegation to 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue

Published

on

By

Chief of Staff to the President and National Security Advisor (NSA) Sagala Ratnayaka led the Sri Lanka delegation to the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier Security Summit held in Singapore from 2 – 4 June 2023.

The highly anticipated summit commenced on 2 June with a powerful Keynote address delivered by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Throughout the event, a series of plenary sessions delved into various crucial geo-political issues, encompassing the establishment of a stable and balanced Asia Pacific, the resolution of regional tensions, the evolution of maritime security in Asia, US leadership in the Indo-Pacific, and China’s latest security initiatives, among other topics.

During the Special Session focusing on ‘Defence Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region,’ Ratnayaka delivered an impactful statement, participating alongside representatives from India, Oman, France, and the United States. He emphasized the significance of keeping big power rivalries and external conflicts out of the Indian Ocean, highlighting Sri Lanka’s efforts in the United Nations to declare the region as a zone of peace. Furthermore, he underscored the country’s contributions to preserving freedom of navigation and over flight, stressing the crucial need for constructive dialogue among all stakeholders in the Indian Ocean region to pursue shared interests.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Prices of sixty essential drugs to be reduced from 15th June

Published

on

By

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal raised by the Minister of Health to reduce the maximum retail price of 60 medicines by 16% with effect from 15.06.2023 and review the price of medicines every three months

Continue Reading

Trending