SRI LANKA APPEALS FOR DROUGHT RELIEF AID

  Sri Lanka has appealed to 24 countries
  for emergency aid to help 2.4 mln villagers affected by the
  country's worst drought in 36 years, government officials said.
      Embassies received letters over the weekend outlining aid
  needed for a sixth of Sri Lanka's population in 13 districts.
      The letter said the government had to step in "to avert
  serious economic hardship" and because the Social Services
  Ministry had already used up its entire 1987 budget provision
  of 23 mln rupees by distributing help to the worst hit areas.
      The letter said 548.76 mln rupees were needed for a six
  month period, at least until the May-September (Yala) rice crop
  was harvested. Over 25,000 tonnes of wheat, rice, flour and
  other cereals were required, it said, along with supplies of
  sugar, lentils, dried or canned fish and milk.
      In some of the most seriously affected districts, the Maha
  (October 1986-April 1987) crop had been "almost completely
  devastated," the letter said. Maha paddy output was now
  estimated at 70 mln bushels, 20 mln less than originally
  expected.
      There were two scenarios for the Yala crop, with a high
  forecast of around 40 mln bushels conditional on adequate
  rainfall within the next three to four weeks.
      "Should the present drought continue, however, production is
  estimated at around 20 mln bushels," the letter added.
      Total estimated paddy output for 1987 would be between 90
  and 110 mln bushels, or 1.35 to 1.65 mln tonnes of rice. Last
  year's output was 124 mln bushels, down from 127 mln in 1985.
      The letter said villagers in most seriously affected
  districts had been deprived of any means of subsistence because
  subsidiary crops had also failed.
      It said the government's current budget did not permit it
  to provide sustained and adequate relief to those affected.
  "Revenue has been adversely affected by depressed commodity
  prices and slowing of the economy. Defence commitments continue
  to exert pressure on the expenditure side."
      The 548.76 mln cash would cover payments of 150 rupees per
  month for each family, as well as handling, transport and
  distribution of emergency food. But such an outlay of funds by
  the government would not be possible without seriously
  impairing development projects, or "greatly fuelling inflation"
  in the economy, the letter said.
      The letter said the Food Department would be able to
  release wheat and rice from the buffer stock to meet the
  immediate cereal requirements "provided such stocks are replaced
  subsequently."
      The Meteorological Department said the country was
  experiencing its worst drought since 1951 and the four-month
  dry spell prevailing in most of the areas would only break when
  the monsoon rains fell in late May.
      The letter said some areas had been experiencing the
  drought since August, and in the rice growing district of
  Kurunegala there had been no effective rainfall since June
  1986.
  

