Germany wants Sri Lanka to solve its problems internally without any foreign interference, Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Sri Lanka Wolfgangerdmanns Doerfer said yesterday at a ceremony where 2,000 MT of rice was donated to Sri Lanka by Germany at the Urugodawatte Government Food Storage facility.

He was confident the Government would be self sufficient in food once the Tamil problem is solved, he said.

He also predicted that the WFP would leave Sri Lanka after the Tamil problem is solved since history has it that the country had exported rice in the past. "War has devastated the agricultural potential of this country", he said.

The 2,000 MT of rice donated yesterday cost US dollars one million and Germany wanted it to be distributed to the internally displaced, economically affected and to the most vulnerable group of people in Jaffna.

World Food Programme Country Director Mohamaed Saleheen said that the WFP was faced with a shortfall of US $ 44 million to meet its needs until the end December, 2008. He said that of the 2000 MT received yesterday 1,500 would be dispatched to Jaffna to feed the 120,000 displaced people.

Courtesy - The Island