Chinese Companies Lend Helping Hand To Sri Lanka Following Floods, Landslides

Chinese companies, involved in development projects in Sri Lanka, have been on the fore front providing relief supplies and funds to thousands of victims affected by Sri Lanka's severe floods and landslides after days of heavy rains last week.

More than 8 million rupees in financial aid provided to the Sri Lanka government by these companies and relief supplies have been distributed in some of the worst flood hit areas with the coordination of the Sri Lanka Navy.

The Chinese companies have said it would continue to monitor the situation and assist the government in their relief and resettlement efforts to victims who lost their homes due to the severe flooding.

At least 102 people have been killed and over 600,000 people affected from the disaster which was recorded as one of the worst in Sri Lanka's history.

While international aid has poured in, the government said a lot more is required to help the country recover from the devastation.

Foreign countries, including China, have already been quick to assist Sri Lanka in recovering from the floods and landslides.

Chinese organizations such as the Sri Lanka Overseas Chinese Association along with China's Asia Pacific Daily donated over 2 million rupees to Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Ministry last week.

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society of China also donated 50,000 U.S. dollars to Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) to support the country's relief and rebuilding efforts last week.

Pang Chunxue, political counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, on behalf of the Red Cross Society of China, handed over the donation to S.B.Madugalle, deputy director general of SLRCS.

Pang extended the deepest sympathy and condolences to the Sri Lankan people especially the families affected by the disaster, hoping the donation could assist the current relief operation of SLRCS and provide help to the people in the disaster-stricken areas.

China funded Port City last week distributed relief items to thousands of people affected by flash floods through a relief campaign titled "Port City Sahana".

Another company which fulfilled the government's urgent needs was China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) which provided 200 thermo flask bottles and 100,000 rupees to the government.

Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, last week called on Chinese companies and organisations in Sri Lanka to donate relief supplies to the disaster affected people and assist in their re-building efforts.

(Xinhua)