RIYADH, 4 November 2006 — The Kingdom yesterday sent a planeload of relief supplies for displaced Muslims in Muttur, eastern Sri Lanka, who fled their homes due to terrorist attacks.
“The donation follows a request made by the Sri Lankan government to the foreign missions based in Colombo,” said Mohamed Mahmoud Al-Ali, Saudi ambassador in Colombo. The envoy is currently in Riyadh to oversee the dispatch of relief supplies.
Al-Ali said another plane carrying relief supplies to leave for Colombo on Sunday.
Al-Ali said the consignments contain 2,000 waterproof tents, 4,000 blankets, 2,000 carpets, medicines and food items are being freighted to the displaced Muslims of Muttur. He added that Talaat Shera, the deputy head of the Saudi Embassy in Colombo, would formally hand over the goods to the Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.
The Saudi government has agreed to distribute part of the donation to the flood victims on the island. Monsoon rains took more than 25 lives and rendered thousands of people homeless during the past two weeks.
A six-member Saudi team headed by Saad Al-Wetaid from the Ministry of Finance also left for Colombo to supervise the distribution of relief supplies in Muttur and other flood-affected areas.
The other members of the Saudi team include Basam Al-Feraj, Salman Al-Otaibi, Saad Al-Dosary, Hameed Al-Obeid and Thahir Al-Saeed.
Abdul Hameed Mohammed Fowzie, minister of petroleum and mineral resources and transport, Ameer Ali, deputy minister of disaster management, and Rishard Badurdeen, minister of rehabilitation, will be present on behalf of the Sri Lankan government during the handing-over ceremony.
Speaking from Colombo over the phone, Minister Fowzie thanked the Saudi government for promptly responding to his government’s appeal. “Saudi Arabia is one of the few friendly countries that readily lends us a helping hand in times of distress,” Fowzie said, pointing out that the Kingdom will be the first foreign country to send relief aid to the recent flood victims in the island.
He added that the Saudi aid would benefit more than 2,000 families in Muttur who are in the process of re-settling in their own villages.
A.M.J. Sadiq, Sri Lankan ambassador to the Kingdom, said the Saudi donation reaches the concerned victims at the right time when relief materials are greatly needed in those affected areas. Flood victims include people from all religions, he said, pointing out that the Kingdom always helps people of all faiths irrespective of racial differences.
