United Nations Says Crisis Hit Sri Lanka Needs $70 Million Funding As Food Crisis Worsens
UN agencies working in Sri Lanka said that they had raised $79 million to feed those in need, but the increasing number of poor people meant an additional $70 million was needed. Dood inflation was 85.6% in October.
Political turmoil, worst economic crisis, humanitarian crisis and bankruptcy. Island nation of Sri Lanka has seen it all this year. Month after month, the wait for a light at the end of this dark tunnel of crisis seems to be getting longer and longer for India¡¯s neighbouring nation.
And now, the United Nations has said that the number of people in Sri Lanka needing urgent humanitarian help has doubled to 3.4 million. The UN has warned of a worsening food crisis in the island nation that had declared itself bankrupt in July amid an unprecedented economic crisis.
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In a joint statement on Tuesday, UN agencies working in Sri Lanka said that they had raised $79 million to feed those in need, but the increasing number of poor people meant an additional $70 million was needed.
¡°Food insecurity in Sri Lanka has increased dramatically due to two consecutive seasons of poor harvests, foreign exchange shortages, and reduced household purchasing power,¡± the statement said.
Why Sri Lanka Needs The $70 Million Funding
As per the UN¡¯s statement, between food inflation of 85.6% in October and another meagre crop season forecast for 2023, many Sri Lankans are struggling.
28% of the population, or 6.3 million people face moderate-to-severe acute food insecurity.
The appeal for additional funding targets immediate food assistance for 2.4 million vulnerable and food-insecure people as well as support, including fertilisers, for 1.5 million farmers.
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The plan also seeks to provide nutrition support for 2.1 million people, including pregnant women and schoolchildren; safe drinking water for over 900,000 people; and essential medicines and healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, for 867,000 people.
The assistance will enable protection services to continue for vulnerable women and children at risk of violence,as per the UN.
The UN has also said that the poverty rate in Srilanka has doubled to 25.6% this year, up from 13.1% last year.
Sri Lanka¡¯s Worst Economic Crisis Goes On
The island nation of Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. It has been enduring soaring inflation, power blackouts, and fuel rationing since last year, besides necessities being out of reach for many.
The country had defaulted on its $51 billion external debt in mid-April and has been in talks with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) for a $2.9 billion bailout, AlJazeera report mentioned.
It was not any easier on the political front as well, as it took months of protests against high prices and shortages of food and medicines which finally led to the toppling of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July.
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