Sri Lanka (Commonwealth Union)_ Sri Lanka’s Government has pledged USD 1 million to support children affected by the conflicts in the Gaza Strip. The contribution was formally channeled through the United Nations to the Government of Palestine. President Ranil Wickremesinghe supervised the transfer at the Presidential Secretariat. This donation bolsters the ongoing support for the Children of Gaza Fund, spearheaded by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to provide assistance to affected kids in the Gaza Strip.
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In an official statement, the President’s Media Division (PMD) disclosed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe personally handed over the donation cheque to Mr. Zuhair M.H. Zaid, the Palestinian Ambassador in Sri Lanka. A statement from President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office declared: “Sri Lanka’s government has donated $1 million to assist children impacted by the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The donation was officially transferred to the Palestinian government through the United Nations’ official channel.”
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Additionally, the President’s office has also urged all ministries and government entities to refrain from hosting Iftar festivities during Ramadan and instead donate to the Children of Gaza Fund. Furthermore, it called for a ceasefire in war-hit Gaza and advocated for the establishment of a Palestinian State. Responding to the President’s appeal to donate funds from ministries and government institutions for this purpose, the first $1 million contributed to the fund has been transferred to the Palestinian government in the first phase.
Additionally, in order to back the “Children of Gaza Fund,” more than Rs. 20 million has been collected. These funds will be officially transferred to the Palestinian government in the following days. The donors are invited to contribute to this initiative before the April 30, 2024 deadline. Donations can be deposited to the Bank of Ceylon (Account number: 7040016), Taprobane Branch (Branch code: 747), before the specified date. As per instructions from the President’s Office, donors are requested to send the relevant deposit receipt through Whatsapp to 077-9730396.
The Sri Lankan leaders including Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry PC; Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake; Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms. Aruni Wijewardena; as well as a delegation of senior officials from the Palestinian Embassy in Sri Lanka were present during the cheque handover ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat. As per media sources, many donors have come forward to help children enduring famine and ongoing attacks in Gaza. The UN Security Council has also called for a ceasefire during Ramadan and further relief measures for the people of the occupied regions.
Further, the Sri Lankan government also reaffirmed its stance of supporting the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while condemning violence. Despite Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic challenges, this donation is seen as a great initiative to counter plans aimed at dismantling the UN relief agency, which aids over five million Palestinian refugees. Israel launched a deadly military war on Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,200 Israelis. In Gaza, more than 32,600 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, have been killed since then, along with widespread destruction, displacement, and famine conditions.
