UNDP-backed crowd funding platform ‘Rebuild Sri Lanka’ goes live ensuring transparency

• Platform will enable people from across the globe to directly support vulnerable families in SL through procurement of medical supplies and strengthened food security efforts
• UNDP says platform will provide full transparency over the use of funds, to ensure that these contributions go exactly where they are needed

UNDP-led cloud funding platform ‘Rebuild Sri Lanka’ platform went live yesterday, allowing global citizens to contribute to alleviating the impacts of the crisis in the country.

As Sri Lanka is facing the worst economic crisis since independence, with 5.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and almost 6.3 million people not knowing where their next meal will come from, the funding facility aims at facilitating contributions toward ongoing support to provide food security and medicines to the vulnerable people in the 
island nation.  

“The ‘Rebuild Sri Lanka’ platform will enable people from across the globe to directly support vulnerable families in Sri Lanka through the procurement of critical medical supplies and strengthened food security efforts,” said UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Regional Director, Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Kanni Wignaraja while highlighting the significance of the platform in the current context.

She assured the platform would provide full transparency over the use of funds, to ensure these contributions go exactly where they are needed. 

“UNDP is committed to standing with the people of Sri Lanka in this time of need,” stressed Wignaraja.

In June 2022, UNDP in Sri Lanka launched the Private Sector Facility for Sri Lanka, to channel funds towards the health and food sectors; two of the most heavily affected sectors by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

The ‘Rebuild Sri Lanka’ crowdfunding platform will engage with well-known Sri Lankan and international personalities from across various fields, to echo and help reach wider global audiences interested in contributing towards essential crisis relief in Sri Lanka.

Bringing together key marketing and branding support from well-known Sri Lankan private sector partners, oDoc Sri Lanka, Daraz, and Dialog Axiata will provide assistance to the overall ‘Rebuild Sri Lanka’ campaign. 

Through the ‘Rebuild Sri Lanka’ platform, interested individuals can contribute to two ailing sectors: healthcare and food. Contributions will be used to address the current shortage in vital, essential, and non-essential medical supplies and towards procuring seed materials for farmers for harvesting, and materials and awareness for strengthening home gardening activities among families.