Minister Mashoor, while thanking King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz for this gesture of good-will, said that the gifted consignment will arrive in the Port of Colombo this week. The food items packed in 5580 cartoons will contain salt, beans, noodles, milk powder, flour, rice, sugar, vegetable oil and dates and 1300 tents weighing 80 tons which include two bed-sheets and one carpet each.

Minister Mahsoor said arrangements had been made to distribute 5000 cartoons of food-stuffs among the 15000 displaced families living in the re-located villages and welfare centers in Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts. The balance 580 cartoons would be distributed through the International Islamic Relief Organisation (IIRO) to all other displaced families living in the districts of Trincomlaee and Polonnaruwa. He said the tents would be distributed to the re-settlers for temporary occupation when and where they were needed during the re-settlement process.

A ceremony in this connection is scheduled to be held at the CWE Stores Complex at Maligawatte on Friday March 21, at 11.00 a.m. A representative from the Ministry of Finance and National Economy of Saudi Arabia Hussein bin Farhan Al-Maliki will participate as a special guest of the Saudi Government and will ceremonially hand-over the gifted-consignment to Minister Noordeen Mashoor who will receive the donation on behalf of Sri-Lankan Government in the presence of Saudi Ambassador Mohammed M. Al-Ali. Members of the diplomatic corps, ministers, parliamentarians and distinguished guests will attend the ceremony.