The COVID-19 Pandemic is a unique global health crisis and requires a response across national boundaries. Throughout the world, Government institutions, the private sector, health care services and civil society organizations have come together and pooled their resources in the fight against COVID – 19. This is also the case in Sri Lanka.
It is in this context that the Embassy of Switzerland to Sri Lanka is pleased to announce its partnership with the “Swiss Business Circle Sri Lanka”, a group of Swiss-Lankan businesses based in Colombo. Together, both entities are donating 4.5 Million Sri Lankan Rupees as direct aid to the Presidential Task Force on Essential Services mandated Civil Society Consortium on COVID-19 Response, a collective
of national and district level humanitarian and development organizations. This aid will assist the needs of children’s homes, elder’s homes and others affected by COVID-19 in Sri Lanka. This amount includes a contribution given by the Embassy staff as a sign of our genuine solidarity with the Sri Lankan Government and people of Sri Lanka.
This action is the most recent example of the initiatives taken by the Embassy of Switzerland in solidarity to assist the Sri Lankan authorities and the people of the country. Since the beginning of Sri Lanka’s response to COVID-19, we have worked through government institutions and civil society organizations to provide a total 24 Million Sri Lankan Rupees in COVID Response Aid to those most affected by the
pandemic.
These initiatives include assistance to children’s homes and elders homes islandwide, families of Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya, Ampara and Batticaloa Districts and other vulnerable populations in sectors related to nutrition, health, shelter,and livelihood. Some of the goods provided by this aid include Dry Rations, Medical Equipment, Shelter, Hygiene and Home-Gardening seed packs.
These efforts are complementary to those deployed by a number of Swiss companies in Sri Lanka, such as Nestlé, which provided LKR 50 Million in goods, Variosystems, which donated 2 ICU ventilators worth LKR 10 Million and many others. We will continue to observe the situation globally and in Sri Lanka with the objective of providing future support and assistance.
Press Release issued by the Embassy of Switzerland, Colombo/11.05.2020.