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Record inflation and skyrocketing prices leave over 6 million Sri Lankans food insecure: WFP

Published

3 years ago

2022/07/8

As prices keep healthy meals out of reach, some 61 per cent of households are regularly using coping strategies to cut down on costs, such as reducing the amount they eat and consuming increasingly less nutritious meals.

And with opportunities to make enough income in the medium to long-term decreasing for an estimated 200,000 families, the UN food relief agency anticipates that even more people will turn to these coping strategies as the crisis deepens.

“These days, we don’t have a proper meal but eat only rice and gravy,” one woman told WFP.

WFP is warning that a lack of nutrition has grave consequences for pregnant women, putting both their own and their children’s health at risk.

“Pregnant mothers need to eat nutritious meals every day, but the poorest find it harder and harder to afford the basics,” WFP Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Anthea Webb said last month.

She told a local television station that by skipping meals, pregnant women were putting themselves and their children’s health at risk in a way that “carries throughout your life”.

To combat the food crisis and its effect on malnutrition, WFP has been distributing monthly food vouchers to pregnant women, valued at $40, in some of the poorest neighbourhoods, alongside antenatal care provided by the local government.

Debilitating inflation

Amidst a staggering 57.4 per cent inflation rate, steeply increasing food prices have crippled the population’s ability to put sufficient and nutritious meals on the table, rendering two in five households without adequate diets.

The food security situation is worst among people working in the farming estates sector – such as large tea plantations – where more than half of households are food insecure, according to WFP.

In all measures of food insecurity and coping strategies, these households have consistently poorer outcomes than urban and rural populations.

While urban households are depleting savings to cope for now, families on rural estates are already turning to credit, in order to buy food and other necessities.

“Poor families in cities and those who work on estates have seen their incomes plummet while market prices have soared,” the WFP official said.

A gloomy picture

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress and severely undermining the country’s ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said WFP.

A current oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.

Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation, have fuelled the shortages.

The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty – some for the first time – adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic.

WFP steps up

To address the downward spiralling situation, last month WFP launched a $60 million emergency appeal for food and nutrition to assist three million of the most at-risk Sri Lankans.

“We must act now before this becomes a humanitarian catastrophe,” warned WFP chief David Beasley in a tweet.

To date, the agency has delivered 88 per cent of the first batch of 2,375 vouchers it has available, and targeted three million people to receive emergency food, nutrition, and school meals, until December.

As prices keep healthy meals out of reach, some 61 per cent of households are regularly using food-based coping strategies, such as reducing the amount they eat and consuming increasingly less nutritious food.

And with the medium- to long-term income-generating capacities at severe risk for an estimated 200,000 families, the UN food relief agency anticipates that even more people will turn to these coping strategies as the crisis deepens.

“These days, we don’t have a proper meal but eat only rice and gravy,” one woman told WFP.

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Maintaining public trust is a fundamental responsibility of the Police Department – President

Published

1 hour ago

2025/04/8

Priyan

Attending the passing out parade of the 82nd batch of the Special Task Force (STF) at the Katukurunda STF Training Camp in Kalutara on Monday (07), President Anura Kumara Disanayake emphasized the need for a progressive transformation within the Sri Lanka Police to ensure the rule of law, order and authority.

The President noted that the public places its trust in the Sri Lanka Police to uphold the supremacy of the law and maintaining that trust is a fundamental responsibility of the Police Department.

Addressing the newly commissioned officers, President Disanayake stated that how one serves and respects their profession is reflected in their career and urged the officers to embrace their professional duty in a way that contributes meaningfully to the transformative change the country requires.

Highlighting the current state of institutional breakdown in many sectors, the President pointed out that the people have already initiated change by altering the political authority, but reiterated that political transformation alone is insufficient. Instead, a comprehensive and positive transformation across all sectors is necessary for national progress.

The President further emphasized that new police officers carry the responsibility of meeting public expectations. He called on them to ensure public safety and security and to prevent the nation from falling prey to organized crime and drug-related issues.

He also stated that the younger generation must take responsibility for the motherland, bearing that duty on their shoulders and should strive to steer both their personal future and the future of the country in a positive direction.

President Disanayake concluded by saying that joining the regular service of the Sri Lanka Police today should be remembered by all as a significant and powerful step forward.

The President further noted that the service rendered by the Special Task Force (STF) on behalf of the public during times of emergency and disaster is highly commendable.

A total of 118 newly recruited Sub-Inspectors and 231 Probationary Police Constables who successfully completed their basic training graduated during the ceremony.

President Anura Kumara Disanayake awarded certificates and honours to officers who demonstrated exceptional performance during the training programme.

A commemorative token was also presented to President Disanayake, who attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest.

An operational demonstration by STF officers on a simulated battlefield was presented as part of the event.

Established in 1983 under the theme “Victory is Certain”, the Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force is currently recognized as a prestigious unit deployed for VIP protection, crime and organized crime suppression and narcotics control efforts aimed at building a drug-free nation.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, STF Commanding Officer Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Samantha de Silva, along with other senior police officers, the parents of graduating officers and other invitees.

[PMD]

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Submission of gazette notifications for the concurrence of the Parliament.

Published

2 hours ago

2025/04/8

Priyan

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to submit the following notification / order / rule published in the government gazette notification to the Parliament for its concurrence:

• Notification on the revision of tax limit of luxury on motor vehicles under the Finance Act No. 35 of 2018 published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 41 dated 31.01.2025.

• Rule issued under the Production Levy (Special Provisions) Act No. 13 of 1989 on revision of production levy rate for vehicles operated with electricity published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 42 dated 31.01.2025

• Order issued under the Finance Act No. 25 of 2003 on extension of the period on which the 50% relief is active which is given to the deviation levy published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 30 dated 31.01.2025

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Cabinet approval to prepare new Act for securing the rights of plant species

Published

2 hours ago

2025/04/8

Priyan

Although there are legal provisions for the right to publish, technical planning, right of patent, trademarks and enterprises etc, in the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003, there are no provisions for securing the rights of plant species (relevant to breeders, researchers and farmers).

In addition, no patents can be issued for flora and fauna according to the provisions of the intellectual rights act. Therefore, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 22.05.2024 to introduce a new act for securing the rights of plant species.

Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has pointed out that policy approval of the new Cabinet of Ministers should be taken to complete the drafting of the new flora species rights securing act.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposals submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation for the preparation of the said draft bill.