SRI LANKA TO LAUNCH APPEAL FOR DROUGHT AID
Sri Lanka will appeal to its major aid
donors for at least 21 mln dlrs in financial support to help it
overcome the country's worst drought in 26 years.
    Government officials told Reuters that letters detailing
the extent of the drought would be sent this week to the 14
countries that gave some 700 mln dlrs in development aid to Sri
Lanka last year. These include Australia, Canada, Japan,
Britain, the U.S. And West Germany.
    Officials in the Finance and Planning Ministry coordinating
the aid request said Sri Lanka wanted the money over a
six-month period.
    Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando last week briefed
representatives of aid-donor countries and international relief
agencies on the drought and made a general appeal for help.
    The state had disbursed 800,000 dlrs by February for the
most badly affected districts, but the Finance and Planning
Ministry officials said no further relief was available from
the budget.
 REUTER
