Sri Lanka continues to experience an unprecedented economic crisis with high inflation, rising commodity prices, power shortages and lack of fuel. The situation has taken a toll on everyone inhabiting in the country including temporary refugees from various neighboring countries who are currently living in our country till they get resettled in a third country. Not only did the crisis make it difficult for them to carry out day to day activities like travel and cook, it also negatively impacted their mental health. Fortunately, their host communities comprising of Sri Lankan locals have been highly supportive during these tried times. Whether it be providing the refugees with food and water or just being there to talk to them about how their day went, our locals made sure they felt at home and treated them like family irrespective of their ethnicity.

Although , Sri Lanka may not be the most powerful or the most important country in the world but it is the kind hearts of our locals that make our country even more beautiful and special. In order to show gratitude towards the immense help and kindness the locals have shown on refugees and to help them to steer through this economic crisis, supported by the UNHCR UN Refugee Agency in partnership with Muslim Aid Sri Lanka (MASL) and the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO) distributed dry rations packs (each worth around LKR 7,000.00) to selected 700 vulnerable families on 09th September 2022 at the Divisional Secretariat (DS) office in Negombo with the presence of UNHCR, NAFSO, MASL representatives and officials from the DS office.

Although everyone in the country is suffering , Muslim Aid believes that even helping a small vulnerable community of people would go a long way. Selection of beneficiaries families was done with the help of the Divisional Secretariat in Negombo, preference was given to pregnant, lactating others, single mothers and elderly members in the community. Also it should be highlighted that in the last month, Muslim Aid with the support of UNHCR has distributed 500 ration packs in the Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia divisional area and is planning to distribute another set of dry ration in the coming weeks as well. Muslim Aid would like to thank UNHCR for its continuous support to help the vulnerable families in the selected areas.