Fao, Wfp Warn 30% Of Sri Lankan Population Facing Acute Food Insecurity

By Susitha Fernando Colombo 12 September : Two United Nations organisations warned on Monday that more than 30 people could be affected.

percent of the population of Sri Lanka experiencing acute food insecurity which could get worse when adequate assistance for life-saving and livelihood assistance isn’t available.

In their most recent report in its most recent report, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned that approximately 6.3 million people in the South Asian island nation are experiencing acute to moderately severe food insecurity mostly because of poor production of agriculture, price hikes and the current economic crisis.

In a joint declaration, two of the most renowned humanitarian organizations stated that they have two
successive seasons of poor harvests have led to the nearly 50 percent decrease in production, paired with lower imports of food grains due to currency restrictions.

Without assistance without assistance, the food security crisis is likely to get worse, especially in the period from October 2022 to February 2023 season of lean that is triggered by the weak
harvests of staple food items, in particular, paddy rice and the current economic crisis.

The report pointed out that immediate food assistance and livelihood programs as well as existing social assistance programs – are essential for households to have access to nutritious food , particularly severely acute and moderately insecure ones.

“In order to prevent an even further deterioration of food security conditions and to help
Restoration of the production of agricultural products and livelihood assistance for smallholders
farmers should be treated as a priority,” FAO Representative in Sri Lanka Vimlendra Sharan said.

“Months into this abysmal economic crisis families are running out of options – they’re exhausted.Over 60 percent of households are eating less food, and eating less expensive and less nutritious food.This is happening at a time when economic pressures are forcing the government to cut down nutrition programs including school meals and fortified foods for mothers and children who are malnourished.WFP’s primary goal is to offer immediate nutrition and food aid to those in the most vulnerable communities to stop further degradation of their nutritional status,” WFP Representative and Country Director in Sri Lanka, Abdur Rahim Siddiqui stated.

The production of paddy rice, the primary staple food, is predicted at 3 million millimetres in 2022 this is the lowest level since the 2017 harvest that was impacted by drought mostly due to lower yields due to reduced use of fertilisers The report reveals.

“Production of maize, mostly used for animal feed is 40 percent lower than the five-year average, with negative effects on the production of livestock and poultry.Also, the production of fruits, vegetables and other crops that are geared towards export, like coconut, tea, rubber and spicesare below the average, which is causing an enormous drop in households’ incomes as well as export earnings.”

The prices of the majority of products for food have been rising steadily since the final quarter of 2021, and hit an all-time highest in August 2022 with the year-over-year increase in food inflation rate of nearly 94.

The most severe macroeconomic crisis in Sri Lanka has caused severe shortages and spikes in the cost of essential items, including food and agricultural inputs, fuel and medicines, severely impacting the economy, with significant disruptions to the production of agricultural products.

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