Australia to donate AUD 700,000 for mine clearance

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Australian government has decided to donate AUD 700,000 for the next two years of the mine clearance mission in Sri Lanka. The Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka said the new donations will provide vital additional mine clearance capacity in the districts of Mannar, Vavuniya and Kilinochchi. it also believes that this assitances will allow many families to return to their land and re-establish lives. According to the high commission, Australia has been one of the largest contributors to de-mining in Sri Lanka over the years, contributing AUD 20 million since 2009. Sri Lanka acceded to the International Mine Ban Treaty in December 2017, with the treaty entering into force for Sri Lanka on June 1, 2018.