Govt sends aid expert to Sri Lanka

The Government has scrambled an aid expert to war-torn Sri Lanka to help distribute humanitarian supplies.

More than 300,000 people have fled to refugee camps on the island to escape fierce battles between military forces and the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Dubliner Martin Dwan has been deployed as part of the Rapid Response Corps which was set up by the Government in 2006 following the tsunami disaster in south east Asia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has also sent €300,000 in aid to charities working on the ground.

Mr Dwan, from Rathfarnham, worked for several years in Central America including during the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras in 1996.

He will be based in Mannar in north Sri Lanka where he will help distribute food, tents and blankets.

The Rapid Response Corps is an on-call team of volunteers skilled in logistics, engineering, technology, public health and humanitarian work.

To date, members of the Corps have been deployed 44 times to 17 countries.

The crack squad can be scrambled at 72 hours' notice and can be placed in disaster zones for periods up to three months.

Foreign Affairs Minister Micháel Martin said Ireland and other EU states are appalled by the loss of innocent lives and by the high number of casualties, including children.

“The immediate priority now must be to ensure the safety and welfare of all displaced civilians.

“Ireland is one of those countries that in times of natural or man-made disasters can get the right people in the right place at the right time to help those in need,” added Mr Martin.

The Corps personnel won’t be paid a salary but will receive a daily subsistence rate and all training, travel and accommodation costs are covered.

“We are fortunate to have people of the calibre of Martin Dwan to assist in important humanitarian missions,” added Mr Martin.