Sri Lanka’s malnutrition accelerates humanitarian crisis, UN calls for urgent international funding

25 Jul 2022 --- The World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations (UN) has released a situation report for Sri Lanka, highlighting that 6.7 million people are consuming unacceptable diets, and 3.4 million people are to receive emergency supplies of food, nutrition and school meals.

“More Sri Lankans will face hunger and we may see a spike in malnutrition unless urgent measures are taken to address this unprecedented economic crisis and stop it from becoming a humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian programs must be rolled out immediately,” says Abdur Rahim Siddiqui, representative and country director at the WFP in Sri Lanka, tells NutritionInsight. 

“Coupled with a weakened currency, the country is experiencing skyrocketing food and fuel prices, making it extremely difficult for people to access adequate and nutritious meals.” 

“If we do not intervene now and if the life-saving work carried out by WFP and other humanitarian agencies on the ground is not properly funded, we will see a catastrophic situation unfolding in Sri Lanka in the time to come,” he adds. 

Desperate need for nutrition assistanceThe majority of Sri Lankan families don't have food on the table, therefore eating less and compromising on nutrition.
There are 6.3 million people experiencing food insecurity in the country, a number likely to increase, according to the organization, as the food and economic crisis continues to mount. The organization highlights that three in ten households are food insecure and 66,000 people are experiencing severe food insecurity. 

“What’s of particular concern to the WFP is the children, pregnant and breastfeeding women and other vulnerable groups who are left without critical nutrition assistance programs. Children and pregnant women face a higher risk of long-term impact because the effect of not being well-nourished carries throughout a person’s life,” Siddiqui notes.

“Inadequate nutrition during a child’s formative years can severely affect their ability to be healthy, smart and productive later in life.”

“Even before the ongoing economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lankan women and children displayed higher rates of malnutrition than most other middle-income countries. For example, 15% of children were too thin for their height; a figure considered ‘very high’ according to WHO. The current economic crisis will likely aggravate this further,” says Siddiqui.

Millions facing malnutrition
Additionally, the WFP stresses that 61% are using unhealthy strategies to tackle the shortage, such as eating less nutritious food, reducing portions and eating fewer times per day.

Save the Children NGO flags that two out of three families in Sri Lanka don’t have enough food on the table, and the economic crisis has rapidly become a “full-blown humanitarian emergency.” In a survey, 85% of 2,300 families say they have lost income since the crisis began. Over half of the families lost most of their income, and one in ten lost their entire income.

UNICEF highlights that 56,000 children in Sri Lanka are at risk for severe acute malnutrition, and 70% of families eat less than they should. “Without urgent action, children will pay the heaviest price,” says the organization.

Grave repercussionsThe government needs international help to deal with the humanitarian crisis, as children are most affected.
The UN continues to warn over the effects of the economic crisis, as record high inflation and rising commodity prices drive the crisis further. Save the Children says that the population is encouraged to grow a home garden, yet the soil is unaffordable and unavailable for many, making that an impossible option.

Sri Lanka has been experiencing its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. Foreign exchange reserves have hit alarmingly low levels (Sri Lanka defaulted on its debt last June), meaning the country doesn’t have the money to import essentials like fuel, food and fertilizer.

“Time and again, we have seen the grave systemic repercussions a debt crisis has had on countries, exposing deep structural gaps of the global financial system, and affecting the implementation of human rights,” said Attiya Waris, UN independent expert on foreign debt and human rights.

Political turmoil has resulted in the president fleeing the country – and his prompt resignation – and mass protests on shortages of food, medicine and fuel, making this a rapidly accelerating humanitarian crisis.. 

“Any response toward mitigating the economic crisis should have human rights at its core, including in the context of negotiation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” says Waris. The IMF has been accused of double standards in its approach toward loan programs, allegedly warning rich countries against austerity while forcing poorer ones into it.

As rising institutional debt has resulted from default payments on international debt, repayments were highlighted as the most considerable expense for the country in 2019. Earlier this month, Sri Lanka faced hyperinflation of 54.7%, and the UN reported food inflation at 81%.

How to solve this?Value vouchers are to be distributed to pregnant women at nutritional risk.
The WFP will distribute cash in the districts of Nuwara Eliya, Mullaitivu and Galle in early August. Additionally, value vouchers will be distributed to pregnant women at nutritional risk in Colombo.

The organization has commenced an emergency operation in response to the ongoing crisis, aiming to reach three million of the most vulnerable, including providing food assistance to 1.4 million of those most in urgent need. 

WFP is also stepping in to help sustain national food and nutrition programs, which the government has halted due to funding constraints. WFP will support one million school children through the national school meal program so that primary grade students continue to receive daily meals in school. 

“We will also support the resumption of the Thriposha nutrition program, which provides fortified food for undernourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. For this, we need US$63 million. We have received nearly one-third of our funding needs but urgently need more funding to carry out our response operations as planned,” Siddiqui underscores.

“Now is the time for the international community to stand by Sri Lanka to prevent a humanitarian crisis. In parallel with this, the country urgently needs to boost its food economy. For this, farmers must have access to critical agri-materials including fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.” 

“Regular fuel supply is also needed for the smooth functioning of food systems, which will help boost markets, maintain the food supply chain and reduce post-harvest losses,” Siddiqui concludes.

By Beatrice Wihlander