News
UNICEF: Lanka has second-highest in child malnutrition in South Asia
The Spokesperson for UNICEF Sri Lanka, Bismarck Swangin states that Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is a children’s crisis, with 1.7 children in the country having to bear the brunt of the crisis.
Speaking to ABC Australia, the UNICEF representative said that while Sri Lanka had one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in South Asia, the economic crisis has only exacerbated the child malnutrition crisis.
According to the UNICEF, 7 out of 10 families are cutting down their food intake to mitigate the crisis, Swangin said. Accordingly, those who were having three meals had decreased to two, while those who were eating two meals had declined it to one.The UNICEF recently launched an appeal for $25 million to provide humanitarian aid to 1.7 million children in Sri Lanka, which the UNICEF points out are at risk of dying from malnutrition-related causes.
While Sri Lanka has the second-highest rate of acute malnutrition among children under 5 in South Asia, at least 17% of children are suffering from chronic wasting, a disease that carries the highest risk of death.The quality of the food has recorded a severe decrease as will, he said. While Sri Lanka has not had favorable numbers with regard to its standing on malnutrition, the current economic crisis will only make it worse, the UNICEF representative said that families are pushing their limits, with children not being able to access their basic rights due to the country’s inability to import essentials such as fuel.
Speaking further, Swangin said that the crisis had affected schoolchildren the most, with them being unable to go to school due to the rise in fuel prices, and being at the risk of starving due to the prices of school meals being doubled, which was a major incentive for children to go to school.
Emphasizing on the UNICEF appeal launched, the Spokesperson said that they are aiming to treat children who are severely malnourished, to provide communities with water, to provide pregnant mother with nutritious diets and supplements, to grant mental health support to children and to grant support to avoid a worst-case scenario.Swangin commented on the illegal Sri Lankan migrants who were captured in their efforts to go to Australia by boat. He pointed out that the people are getting increasingly desperate, and are resolving to coping mechanisms, such as selling assets or pawning jewelry. Pointing out that he worked with Somalia, Yemen and Sudan, the UNICEF spokesperson said that this is a crisis like none other.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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AKD: Govt. agenda on track despite Ditwah disaster
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