USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman had talks with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on enhanced assistance to Sri Lanka.
Coleman called on Foreign Minister Sabry who is currently in the US to address the UN General Assembly.
Both sides discussed enhanced assistance to Sri Lanka through collaborative projects in a follow-up to the visit by Administrator Samantha Power.
Subject to Congressional approval, Power had announced that USAID will invest additional funds to provide farmers with fertilizer and other vital agricultural inputs. This critical support, implemented through the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, comes just in time for maximum benefit to the upcoming “Maha” planting season and will benefit up to 1 million farmers in need of fertilizer across Sri Lanka, which includes 53,000 farmers in need of emergency cash assistance.
The announcement builds on USAID’s ongoing support since the complex emergency began, by strengthening ongoing programs in Sri Lanka to address the dire needs of the country’s most vulnerable and marginalized communities as they experience economic shocks, compounded by rising food, fuel, and fertilizer prices due to Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine.
USAID said it stands with the Sri Lankan people and is committed to providing this urgent support. The US Government said it will continue to explore ways to assist the country in meeting their immediate, medium, and long-term needs, and will continue ongoing efforts that boost sustainable economic growth, promote inclusivity, strengthen governance, and foster a free and prosperous Sri Lanka.
