US donates USD 4.5 mn to Sri Lanka to support COVID-19 battle

COLOMBO (News1st): The US has donated 4.5 million dollars to Sri Lanka to assist its fight against COVID-19, the US Embassy in Colombo said in a statement on Wednesday. “This assistance continues the long tradition of U.S. support for Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty,” US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz said. The statement noted that this donation would be channelled through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Two million dollars each would be used to assist areas severely affected by the virus, and to strengthen small and medium enterprises and increase women's participation, according to the US Embassy. Further, 590,000 dollars will be used for humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable people during the pandemic. In April, the US donated 1.3 million dollars to Sri Lanka to curb the spread of COVID – 19 and to help protect healthcare workers.