UN, WFP officials meet Defence Secretary to discuss disaster resilience

June 25 (Daily Mirror) - The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Marc-André Franche, and the World Food Programme (WFP) Representative and Country Director, Philip Ward, met with Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) at the Ministry of Defence.

The discussion focused on the World Food Programme's ongoing initiatives in Sri Lanka and the Government's priorities relating to disaster risk management and resilience-building programmes.

During the meeting, the parties explored potential areas of collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the WFP to strengthen national preparedness and emergency response mechanisms.

Special attention was given to identifying opportunities for the WFP and the wider donor community to support Sri Lanka's efforts to enhance resilience against natural disasters and other emergencies.

The Defence Secretary expressed appreciation for the longstanding assistance provided by the United Nations and the World Food Programme to Sri Lanka and reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with international partners in advancing the country's development and disaster preparedness objectives.