USAID pledges $60 million of funding for Sri Lanka

USAID administrator Samantha Power speaks with rice farmers during a visit to a paddy field in Ja-Ela on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP)

• USAID would provide $40 million for fertilizer imports and $20 million for humanitarian needs to tackle the country’s deep financial crisis

COLOMBO: The chief of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Sunday announced a $60 million aid package for Sri Lanka.
USAID head Samantha Power said it would provide $40 million for fertilizer imports and $20 million for humanitarian needs to tackle the country’s deep financial crisis.
Power, who is visiting Sri Lanka, added: ““I have come to convey that the United States stands with you during this unparalleled crisis.”
Sri Lanka is facing acute shortages of essentials including food, fuel and medicines due to a lack of foreign currency needed to pay for imports.