Euro 100 mn tsunami aid from the EU to come in by mid this year

The first instalment of Euro 100 mn tsunami aid from the European Union is to come in by mid this year, to help people get back to work.









The first instalment of Euro 100 mn tsunami aid from the European Union is to come in by mid this year, to help people get back to work. "In addition to the Euro 31 mn in humanitarian aid already made available to Sri Lanka, the European Commission (EC) is now working with the country to programme a further allocation of Euro100 mn," said a press release from the EC.

"The Commission proposes a first installment before this summer," it said.

The first installment of aid will include support to help people get back to work, detailed satellite imagery of the affected coastline before and after the tsunami, to help with planning reconstruction and a possible first donation to the World Bank Reconstruction Trust Fund.

A larger, second installment of EC support will come in later during the year.

The Commission is considering committing Euro 40 mn to re-build the Matara-Batticaloa road and putting another Euro 56 mn to help restart livelihoods.

Livelihood support would include repai