Sri Lankan families spend 75% of earnings on purchasing food

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The UN says that 6.2 million people, including 2.9 million children, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in 2023.

The latest UNICEF report on Humanitarian Action for Children 2023 says that in the context of soaring inflation, heightened income insecurity and scarce availability of essential products, families cannot meet their basic needs.

While 5.3 million people were already skipping meals as a coping strategy, this number is expected to increase drastically in the coming months with the combined impact of climate-induced natural hazards and a political impasse.

66,000 people are severely acute food insecure. Two in five households (41.8 per cent) spend more than 75 per cent of their expenditures on purchasing food, leaving little to spend on health and education. Many families have exhausted their savings and are struggling due to crippling inflation.

It added that school attendance is frequently low among students and teachers, particularly those in rural schools, due to transportation issues, economic challenges and limited provision of school meals, which discourages school attendance.  

Child protection issues increased significantly in 2022, especially in rural and estate areas. 

Children face protection challenges, with more parents seeking to admit them to childcare institutions due to increasing food insecurity, poverty and internal and external labour migration..

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