The High Level committee for Foreign Aid (Supplies) Coordination (HL-FRAC) Reconvenes for Third Session

The High Level Committee for Foreign Relief Aid (supplies) Coordination (HL-FRAC), chaired by the Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), convened its third meeting today (15 December) at its Secretariat located at the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) in Colombo.

The Committee, supported by a Secretariat at the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC), is responsible for coordinating, managing, and distributing all foreign humanitarian relief assistance received following the recent disaster. It oversees the entire relief supply chain, including the receipt and verification of consignments, warehousing, allocation, dispatch, and last mile delivery to affected communities.

During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on the current progress of relief operations, challenges encountered in implementation, and issues related to the receiving, storage, and distribution of humanitarian aid. Particular attention was given to ongoing operations at Orugodawatte relief warehouse, with emphasis on improving efficiency, accountability, and coordination among stakeholder agencies.

The Committee also reviewed the functioning of the Foreign Aid Tracking System, which enables real time monitoring of all incoming and distributed relief supplies. Ministries and local authorities were reminded of the requirement to provide regular updates to ensure transparency and effective coordination. The Committee is empowered to request information, summon relevant officials, and issue directives to streamline relief operations.

The Deputy Minister of Defence emphasized the importance of timely coordination, accurate reporting, and strengthened inter agency collaboration to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches affected communities efficiently and without delay.

Members of the Committee, senior officials from SL Army, Police and state were present at the meeting.