COLOMBO, 24 January 2005 — The Saudi Red Crescent Society (SRCS) will open an office in Colombo to monitor and supervise relief activities to tsunami victims in all parts of the island. The SRCS president, Abdul Rahman Al-Sweilem, and an eight-member team arrived here yesterday evening. Upon arrival, they were received by Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Abdul Hameed Mohamed Fowzie, former parliamentary Speaker and life president of the Islamic Center in Colombo Muhammad Haniffa Muhammad, Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mohamed Mahmud Al-Ali as well as a number of Muslim members of Parliament.
Dr. Al-Sweilem said: “SRCS will establish an active office in Colombo to monitor the relief work sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government in tsunami-affected areas.”
The Kingdom has sent five planeloads of relief materials to Sri Lanka and Sweilem pointed out that it is the duty of the donor and the host country to ensure that the relief reaches the affected. He said that his team is currently visiting the tsunami-affected countries on special instructions from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd.
