Swiss grant emergency aid for Sri Lanka
Switzerland is to provide SFr1.4 million ($1.23 million) in emergency aid for the victims of the civil war in the north of Sri Lanka.
The foreign ministry has also renewed its appeal to the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Tamil Tiger rebel group to respect international humanitarian law.
An extra SFr1 million will be added to the SFr6.5 million already budgeted this year for civilian aid. The funds are to be split between the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations Refugee Agency and the World Food Programme.
The Sri Lankan health ministry will also receive SFr200,000 worth of pharmaceuticals, while non-governmental organisation World Concern has been allocated the same sum for its medical work with victims.
The foreign ministry said on Thursday it was particularly concerned by the plight of the tens of thousands of internally displaced people.
Switzerland appealed to Colombo to allow humanitarian specialists access to the population affected by the war.
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