Japan grants Rs. 111 mn for demining projects in North | Daily News

Japan grants Rs. 111 mn for demining projects in North

The grant contract was signed between Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Sugiyama Akira and Programme Manager of the DASH, Ananda Chandrasiri.
The grant contract was signed between Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Sugiyama Akira and Programme Manager of the DASH, Ananda Chandrasiri.

The Japanese Government has provided US$ 630,028 (approximately Rs. 111 million) for the Delvon Assistance for Social Harmony (DASH) for humanitarian demining activities in the Northern Sri Lanka, a press release issued by the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka said.

The grant contract was signed on Thursday, January 23 at the Ambassador’s Residence in Colombo, between Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Sugiyama Akira and Programme Manager of the DASH, Ananda Chandrasiri.

The project will contribute to the efforts of the Sri Lankan Government in ensuring that mine-contaminated areas are safe, enabling the resettlement of the displaced people and enhancing directly or indirectly more than 350 families’ livelihoods in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna Districts. Japan has been a major donor in the area of mine clearance in Sri Lanka since 2003, and the only country which assists all the four demining NGOs currently operating in Sri Lanka. More than US$ 37 million in assistance was rendered towards this cause through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP). By the end of 2019, the DASH had cleared more than five square kilometres of landmine-contaminated land, and in the process, had removed and destroyed 47,639 landmines and 55,561 items of ERW (explosive remnants of war) through the assistance from Japan.

The Sri Lankan Government aims to achieve a mine impact-free Sri Lanka within a few years and become the next mine impact-free country in the world. Through the project, the Japanese Government assists this endeavour and ensures the country to be safe for all.

Commenting on the provision of this grant, Programme Manager of the DASH, Chandrasiri stated; “Every Sri Lankan is of great admiration of the invaluable and numerous means of assistance extended by Japan to Sri Lanka during the strong friendship that has been in existence between the two countries for more than six decades, which includes Japan’s assistance, as a major donor, to the Sri Lankan mine action programme from its inception.”


Add new comment