15 June 2023 02:32 pm Views - 861
At least 3.9 million people or 17 per cent of the population in Sri Lanka is in moderate acute food insecurity, according to a latest report issued by the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission.
The report states that this is nearly a 40 per cent decrease from June/July last year.
“An estimated 17 per cent of the population is in moderate acute food insecurity in Sri Lanka, especially in the Northern, Eastern and Central Provinces, indicating an improvement compared to 2022,” the report mentioned.
According to the report, nearly 10,000 people are severely acute food-insecure, down from 66,000 people last year.
Further, the report highlights that the highest level of acute food insecurity was in the estate sector (tea production) and among households deriving their main incomes from social protection schemes such as Samurdhi and disability benefits, linked to unaffordability of food and healthy diets.
The latest findings are based on the Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report jointly carried out in February/March 2023 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). (Sheain Fernandopulle)