The Overseas Aid Committee of the Council of Ministers has donated ?41,360 of emergency aid to support relief efforts in Sri Lanka. More than one million people have been affected by the flooding in Sri Lanka and over 320,000 have been forced into temporary shelters. Recently the country has experienced renewed flooding. The Committee is now donating to two charities seeking to help those most affected by this crisis, Y Care International, the YMCA’s international relief and development agency, and Care International UK. Together, the projects aim to help more than 20,000 people by providing food, other essential items such as bedding, soap and mosquito nets and supporting the cleanup of affected areas to protect against waterborne diseases. In addition, the Committee also donated ?8,640 to UNICEF to support refugees from the Ivory Coast, where political turmoil has led more than 38,000 people to flee to neighbouring Liberia, which is itself recovering from years of conflict. UNICEF’s objectives include providing food and treatment for malnutrition to children in both the refugee and host communities, reaching vulnerable populations with water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and services and re-establishing schooling. The Chairman of the Committee, Phil Gawne, MHK said: ‘The emergency aid donated by the Overseas Aid Committee will have a real effect on the ground in Sri Lanka and in Liberia and we are pleased to support the work of these three charities.’ Ends