Norway contributes Rs. 180 m to flood and landslide relief in Sri Lanka

The Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende has announced that Norway will contribute NOK 10 million (Rs. 180 million) to the humanitarian relief effort over the recent floods and landslides in Sri Lanka.

The support will be channelled through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC). The Foreign Minister stressed the importance of mitigation and prevention of destruction caused by natural disasters and climate change. 

“Human life can be saved, and the cost of prevention is significantly lower than the price of reparation,” Brende stated. 

UNICEF will assist children, women and their families affected by the floods and landslides. Norwegian support will also be provided in the areas of water, sanitation, hygiene, child protection and education.

The Norwegian support to the IFRC will help to improve conditions at collection centres with water and sanitation. It will also contribute to cleaning up wells and giving people basic household items to restart their lives. 

The Norwegian Embassy in Colombo is funding ongoing technical cooperation between the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) for capacity building and advanced equipment to NBRO on landslide prevention, analysis and early warning systems. The support to NBRO aims to save lives and property by early warning systems and comprehensive mapping. The embassy is in conversation with NBRO on the need for increased support. Norway is among the top four donor countries supporting the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) which provides time-critical assistance to UN agencies responding to natural disasters. Norway contributed $ 44 million to CERF in 2017.