Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Head of Delegation in Sri Lanka Angélique Apperré in Colombo to discuss the organisation’s future activities in the country.

The meeting was held at the request of the ICRC to discuss its planned interventions in Sri Lanka, with particular attention to humanitarian issues that remain unresolved following past armed conflicts.

The discussions focused on the needs of families seeking information about missing persons, strengthening forensic capacity, improving coordination among state institutions, and promoting greater understanding and implementation of international humanitarian law.

The ICRC has been operating in Sri Lanka since 1989 and currently focuses on addressing humanitarian needs arising from past conflicts, supporting families of missing persons, strengthening forensic capabilities and promoting knowledge and implementation of international humanitarian law.

Premadasa stressed the importance of adopting an impartial, humanitarian, evidence-based and inclusive approach when addressing unresolved humanitarian issues.

He also highlighted the need to strengthen credible and sustainable Sri Lankan institutions capable of responding to such humanitarian needs in a professional and impartial manner.

“Conflicts may end, but their humanitarian consequences do not,” Premadasa said, stressing that families seeking information about their loved ones should be treated with dignity, compassion and fairness regardless of their ethnicity, religion, geographical background or political affiliation.

The meeting also discussed potential support through international expertise to strengthen Sri Lanka’s forensic sector, efforts to establish the fate of missing persons and institutional capacity.

However, both sides emphasised that effective and sustainable long-term solutions ultimately require stronger national institutions and capacities in Sri Lanka.

The ICRC has recently highlighted that thousands of families from different communities in Sri Lanka continue to seek information about the fate and whereabouts of their missing loved ones.

Premadasa expressed appreciation for the ICRC’s longstanding humanitarian contribution to Sri Lanka and stressed the importance of continued dialogue between the organisation, Parliament, national institutions and other relevant stakeholders to address remaining humanitarian challenges and strengthen respect for international humanitarian law.