Nearly 5 million in hunger, 56,000 children severely malnourished: UN

Nearly five million Sri Lankans, including 200,000 in Colombo, are living hand to mouth, eating less, selling their gold jewellery, and borrowing money, the United Nations said this week coinciding with its world-wide appeal on Thursday to help Sri Lanka's unprecedented economic crisis.

Among those at risk are 56,000 children under five years with severe acute malnutrition, and need nutrient-rich food, the United Nations said this week.

Two years into the presidency, the Government stopped providing Thriposha nutrition to children in November 2021 and school meals were also stopped. In 2020, the World Food Programme gave a cash grant to the Ministry of Health to buy local maize for Thriposha. UNICEF supported with vitamin-rich multiple micronutrients for children aged 6, 12 and 18 months, and therapeutic food BP-100.

The UN says up to 22 percent of the population needs food aid. It says 86 percent of homes are reducing what they eat and some are going without meals.

Healthcare is also in jeopardy, the UN warns.

“Currently close to 200 essential medicines are out of stock, with a predicted shortage of another 163 critical drugs over the next two to three months,’’ the UN says. Also, more than 2,700 essential surgical and more than 250 regular laboratory items are not in stock.

Another UN agency says Sri Lanka is at risk of facing “a fullblown humanitarian emergency,’’ and action is being taken to address that concern. The warning has come from Jens Laerke, the spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

At the same time, the UN notes that according to estimates by development and humanitarian partners in Sri Lanka, “nearly 5.7 million women, children and men are in need of immediate life-saving assistance’’. Some of those living hand to mouth are in Buddhist temple land, Kurunegala, the political turf of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Minister Johnston Fernando. Some 600,000 are in need in Kurunegala, where hungry war widows are aplenty. In Hambantota 200,000 are in need of aid.

In Kurunegala, 82 percent borrow money and 60 percent pawn gold belongings. In the South, 51 percent borrow and 50 percent sell their jewellery, the UN has found.

Sri Lanka's UN office headed by Hanaa Singer- Hamdy, and non- governmental organisations on Thursday launched a ‘ Humanitarian Needs and Priorities Plan’ seeking US$ 47.2 million ( Rs 15 billion) to provide “lifesaving assistance to 1.7 million’’ people, who are the worst affected. The aid will be spread from June to September.

Australia is supporting the initiative. Its national cricket team now touring Sri Lanka made a public appeal to help Sri Lanka "hit the economic crisis for a six".

The UN says the 1.7 million people “are among those whose livelihoods, food security and access to health services are most at risk and need immediate support’’.

Of the total funding needed, US$ 34.5 million will be used for immediate food and nutrition needs and to protect and diversify livelihoods, the UN plan says. Another US$ 8 million will go to provide vital and essential medicines, medical supplies, and devices. Also, US$ 4.7 million will help support essential protection, including protection from genderbased violence, to protect children, and to keep them in school.

The UN says many households have run out of ways with which to cope and are “now borrowing money and selling properties and belongings,’’ to live from day to day.

At least 56,000 children under the age of five years with severe acute malnutrition need ready to eat therapeutic food BP- 100, the UN says. Largely provided by UNICEF, this is a sweet, peanut- based, nutrient- loaded paste. Three packets a day for eight weeks is life saver.

The nutrition situation has worsened, the UN warns. Pregnant and lactating women are particularly at risk. Higher rates of child malnutrition and poor pregnancy outcomes are an increasing risk, the UN says.

The meals programme for 25 percent of school- age children, focusing on children in grade one to five in the most marginalised schools is facing constraints.

The vulnerability of farming and fishing communities to food insecurity has increased.

Donors can help directly through: https:// www. humanitarianresponse. info/ en/ operations/ sri- lanka