Half of Sri Lankan Families Forced to Reduce Children's Food During Economic Crisis

Roughly half of all families in Sri Lanka have been forced to reduce the amount they feed their children as the country plunges into an economic crisis following the government's failure to pay off its debts. The Sri Lankan government defaulted on its debt almost a year ago, and the results have been devastating. The rate of inflation has soared, and food and fuel shortages have left families unable to find stability.

Save the Children recently surveyed 2,308 households across nine districts in Sri Lanka, and they discovered that the average household expenses increased by 18 percent between June and December in 2022. It was also reported that there was a 23 percent increase in households that were no longer able to financially meet their own basic needs.

Sri Lanka Brief reported that "over the past six months, more families have had to resort to desperate measures to survive, with a 24 percent increase in households saying they had resorted to borrowing money in order to cover household expenses; a 24 percent increase in households saying they had to purchase food on credit; and a 28 percent increase in households selling household items for cash."



In an effort to cut costs and retain resources, households are now limiting the amount of food their children eat. Though 27 percent of adults suggested that they actively skip meals in order to feed their children, 90 percent of households said that they cannot ensure nutritious food for their children. 
 

A key trend in the study is that female-led households are disproportionately more vulnerable to instability, as women are more likely to resort to trafficking and other forms of exploitation, while also working long hours. As a result, this leaves children alone for extended amounts of time. 

Save the Children reported: "There are clear indications of a disproportional impact of the crisis on households depending on demographics, particularly in households with children where women are the sole bread-winners. Households with insufficient labour contributions or inability to boost income through alternative revenue sources have struggled significantly to meet their fundamental needs."

"It is also observed that households that have managed to increase their income have failed to provide adequate childcare, thereby increasing the risk to children’s well-being, as evidenced by the fact that more children in this category have begun exhibiting signs of stress compared to children in other households."

Furthermore, the survey revealed that 70 percent of families lost all or most of their income stream between June and December of 2022. Now more than half of families attribute the majority of their income to seasonal or irregular jobs. Parents are struggling to provide for children who do not know when, or if, their next meal is coming.

"These figures show how the crisis in Sri Lanka continues to spiral out of control and how, as with any crisis, children are bearing the brunt with their physical and mental health, nutrition and education all at risk," Julian Chellappah, Save the Children's Sri Lanka Country Director, said. "These children were born into hope as the country’s post-war generation – but we are in grave danger of failing them once again."

"Parents should never have to choose who in their family gets to eat a meal. Everything we are seeing here points to a very real danger of a full-blown hunger crisis. The Sri Lankan government is giving much-needed support to some families through welfare schemes, but we need a rapid build-up of social protection systems with support from the international community. This is an emergency situation that requires an emergency response."

Sri Lanka has been in the midst of an economic crisis since the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

However, Martin Raiser, World Bank Vice President for South Asia, has vowed support for the World Bank Group in an effort to aid Sri Lanka in overcoming these economic issues, introduce lasting reforms, and achieve recovery that is both resilient and unifying, according to News Cutter.


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