Senior USAID official visits SL to understand needs of food-insecure communities

USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Director Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean Stephanie Wilcock with a group of people in Ratnapura enrolled to receive WFP cash assistance through USAID funding

A senior U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) official was in Sri Lanka recently to better grasp the needs of food-insecure communities, as the country grapples with the worst ever economic crisis in history.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Director Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean Stephanie Wilcock, on a visit to Sri Lanka.  

During the visit, Wilcock met with poor rural communities to understand their food and nutrition needs and how the WFP’s US-funded programmes will help them overcome the challenges brought on by the economic crisis.   

As part of the visit, Wilcock travelled to Ratnapura, where she spoke with the food-insecure families faced with high food prices and unemployment. The community will soon receive US-funded cash assistance through the WFP, worth Rs.20,000 (approximately US $ 55) for four consecutive months, which will empower them with the choice to meet their essential needs in local markets, while also helping to boost the economy.

“Sri Lanka continues to experience significantly high levels of food insecurity, affecting over 30 percent of the population, most notably among the poor,” said WFP Sri Lanka Acting Country Director Gerard Rebello.
“We are extremely grateful for the invaluable support from the government and people of the United States, which has been critical in enabling the WFP to expand its emergency assistance. The funding from the USAID will help the WFP address humanitarian needs and prevent food insecurity from deteriorating further,” Rebello added.
The US has funded nearly one-third of Sri Lanka’s emergency operation requirement, with a contribution of US $ 20 million (Rs.7.3 billion) in 2022. The funds allow the WFP to provide cash, food assistance and value vouchers to food-insecure families and to support the national food and nutrition programmes, including school meals and Thriposha, a fortified blended food product for pregnant and nursing mothers and young children.  

The USAID’s long-time support for the Government of Sri Lanka through the WFP has helped improve the country’s capacity in disaster risk management, particularly against natural hazards. During the trip, Wilcock also visited an emergency operations centre in Ratnapura to observe how the US funding has enabled district-level emergency coordination systems development. Wilcock was given an overview of how the centre provides timely information to safeguard communities from natural hazards such as floods and landslides. 

The WFP, with funding from donors like the US, has reached two million people since June 2022, through its emergency operation, with plans to reach 3.4 million people with food and nutrition assistance in the coming months.