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In a significant boost to Sri Lanka’s disaster relief efforts, the World Food Programme (WFP), in partnership with the Government of Australia, has dispatched 20 metric tonnes of high energy fortified biscuits to support communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
The emergency food aid, which arrived in Colombo on 07 December, was provided free of charge to the Government of Sri Lanka under the Cyclone Emergency Response Programme. The shipment was mobilised through the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Dubai and consigned to the WFP Country Office in Colombo for distribution in coordination with the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment.
The consignment was officially handed over by Philip Ward, WFP Sri Lanka Representative and Country Director, and Matthew Duckworth, Australia’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. Receiving on behalf of the Government were Sampath Manthrinayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, along with senior officials of the Partnerships Secretariat for WFP Cooperation (PSWFPC).
Fortified biscuits are considered vital in humanitarian crises, as they are ready to eat, high energy products enriched with essential vitamins and minerals, providing immediate nutritional support to displaced populations with limited access to cooking facilities or food supplies.
According to a situation report shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, WFP has recommended a targeted distribution strategy prioritising districts where access remains severely restricted. The consignment will be allocated to cyclone affected communities in Badulla, Kandy, Kegalle, and Nuwara Eliya.
