SRI LANKA APPEALS FOR DROUGHT RELIEF AID
Sri Lanka has appealed to 24 countries
for emergency aid to help 2.4 mln villagers affected by the
country's worst drought in 36 years, government officials said.
    Embassies received letters over the weekend outlining aid
needed for a sixth of Sri Lanka's population in 13 districts.
    The letter said the government had to step in "to avert
serious economic hardship" and because the Social Services
Ministry had already used up its entire 1987 budget provision
of 23 mln rupees by distributing help to the worst hit areas.
    The letter said 548.76 mln rupees were needed for a six
month period, at least until the May-September (Yala) rice crop
was harvested. Over 25,000 tonnes of wheat, rice, flour and
other cereals were required, it said, along with supplies of
sugar, lentils, dried or canned fish and milk.
    In some of the most seriously affected districts, the Maha
(October 1986-April 1987) crop had been "almost completely
devastated," the letter said. Maha paddy output was now
estimated at 70 mln bushels, 20 mln less than originally
expected.
    There were two scenarios for the Yala crop, with a high
forecast of around 40 mln bushels conditional on adequate
rainfall within the next three to four weeks.
    "Should the present drought continue, however, production is
estimated at around 20 mln bushels," the letter added.
    Total estimated paddy output for 1987 would be between 90
and 110 mln bushels, or 1.35 to 1.65 mln tonnes of rice. Last
year's output was 124 mln bushels, down from 127 mln in 1985.
    The letter said villagers in most seriously affected
districts had been deprived of any means of subsistence because
subsidiary crops had also failed.
    It said the government's current budget did not permit it
to provide sustained and adequate relief to those affected.
"Revenue has been adversely affected by depressed commodity
prices and slowing of the economy. Defence commitments continue
to exert pressure on the expenditure side."
    The 548.76 mln cash would cover payments of 150 rupees per
month for each family, as well as handling, transport and
distribution of emergency food. But such an outlay of funds by
the government would not be possible without seriously
impairing development projects, or "greatly fuelling inflation"
in the economy, the letter said.
    The letter said the Food Department would be able to
release wheat and rice from the buffer stock to meet the
immediate cereal requirements "provided such stocks are replaced
subsequently."
    The Meteorological Department said the country was
experiencing its worst drought since 1951 and the four-month
dry spell prevailing in most of the areas would only break when
the monsoon rains fell in late May.
    The letter said some areas had been experiencing the
drought since August, and in the rice growing district of
Kurunegala there had been no effective rainfall since June
1986.
 Reuter
