China donated Rs. 1.5 billion worth assistance to North and East early this year

Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong said that early this year, the Chinese government supported the northern and eastern regions by providing essential supplies for livelihoods with a total value of Rs. 1.5 billion rupees, including housing units, rice, and fishing nets.

On December 29, he visited Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara of Eastern Province. With the assistance of the Provincial Government and three District Secretariats, thousands of food packages valued at Rs. 16 million were distributed to those flood-affected families.

He said during his last visit to the Eastern Province last month, another Rs. 8 million was donated to the province and a number of livelihood projects will be carried out step by step.
“China and Sri Lanka are traditionally friendly neighbours, with our friendship spanning over 2,000 years. China’s friendly policy towards Sri Lanka is inclusive and open, focusing on engaging equally with all individuals, political parties, ethnic groups, and regions.
Our support for the Sri Lankan people, especially the people of the Eastern Province, has never ceased. During the COVID-19 pandemic, China donated a large number of Sinopharm vaccines to Sri Lanka, with a special focus on the Tamil people in the Northern and Eastern regions, saving countless lives of the Sri Lankan people. When Sri Lanka suffered from severe flooding, China extended a helping hand in a timely manner, providing a batch of Emergency Humanitarian Materials worth 400 million rupees and making a donation of Rs. 30 million (USD100,000) as emergency flood relief to the Sri Lankan government with an aim of assisting those affected.
Today, we are once again here in the Eastern Province to donate 2,470 food packages worth 16 million rupees to people affected by the flooding. We hope that with our assistance, you can overcome these challenges and restore normal life as soon as possible. The Chinese people will always stand with the Sri Lankan people. Together, we can make a difference,” he said.