Nearly 6.3 million people in crisis-hit Sri Lanka face moderate to severe acute food crisis insecurity, and their condition could worsen if enough life-saving assistance and livelihood support is not delivered, two UN agencies cautioned in a new study on Monday.
According to a joint analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), two consecutive seasons of low harvests resulted in a roughly 50% decline in production, as well as restricted imports of food grains due to foreign exchange limits.
Without support, the food security situation in Sri Lanka is anticipated to worsen, particularly during the lean season from October 2022 to February 2023, due to weak harvests of staple crops, particularly paddy rice, and the continued economic crisis, according to the research.
The report emphasises the importance of assisting households in establishing home gardens and backyard gardening to improve their nutritional status, as well as supplying adequate fuel to ensure optimal planting, harvesting, transportation, and processing of food products.