COLOMBO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The Board of Governors of Sri Lanka's President's Fund, under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has decided to provide financial aid to children from families affected by frequent elephant intrusions, the President's Media Division (PMD) announced on Tuesday.

This assistance will cover families impacted by elephant intrusions occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2025, the PMD said, adding that priority will be given to families who have lost a family member or experienced injuries due to elephant intrusions.

Children from families that have faced property or crop damage as a result of elephant intrusions will also be eligible to apply for this support, the PMD said.

Under the initiative, selected students from Grades 1 through 11 will receive a monthly allowance of 3,000 rupees (approximately 10 U.S. dollars) for a maximum duration of 12 months, while students in Grades 12 and 13 will receive 5,000 rupees (17 dollars) per month for the same period, according to the PMD.

The financial aid is expected to be distributed starting April 1 and relevant officials have been instructed to gather information on eligible children within their divisions, carry out individual assessments, and promptly submit applications along with recommendations to the secretary of the President's Fund.

A total of 3,477 wild elephants and 1,190 people died in Sri Lanka between 2015 and 2024 due to the ongoing human-elephant conflict, Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi told parliament earlier this year. Enditem

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