US commits $4.5 Mn more to help Sri Lanka fight COVID-19

The United States has announced the commitment of more than USD 4.5 million to help Sri Lanka in its fight against COVID-19.

This brings the total U.S. contribution to USD 5.8 million, the Embassy of the United States said in a press release issued today (06).

“This assistance continues the long tradition of U.S. support for Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty,” U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz has said. “Over the past 20 years, U.S. assistance in Sri Lanka has totaled more than $1 billion, including USD 26 million for health.”

This assistance, channeled through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), includes USD 2 million to increase social services for areas and populations most impacted by the crisis, and support for activities that build social cohesion.

Another USD 2 million will strengthen small and medium enterprises and increase women’s economic participation.  As part of the newly-announced assistance, the United States is also providing $590,000 in humanitarian assistance that will support vulnerable people during the pandemic, the release read.

This new assistance builds on the USD 1.3 million in health assistance the U.S. Embassy announced on April 9, which is helping the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness. 

U.S. assistance is also enabling Sri Lanka to conduct communicate more effectively about the risk of infection and prevent and control infectious diseases in health facilities. 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. Government has committed more than USD 775 million globally in emergency health, humanitarian, economic and development assistance, the Embassy said. “This is on top of the funding the U.S. Government has already provided multilateral and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are helping communities around the world to deal with the pandemic.  Months into fighting COVID-19 at home and abroad, the United States remains the largest single country donor to the response efforts globally.”

“In addition to this direct U.S. government funding, our All-of-America approach is helping people around the world through the generosity of American private businesses, non-profit groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and individuals. Together, Americans have committed an estimated nearly USD 6.5 billion in government and non-government donations and assistance in the global COVID-19 response,” the release said further.