Since June, the UN team in Sri Lanka and NGOs have used the HNP to respond to Government requests for more assistance to ease the impact of the food and debt crisis. country as well as drug shortages.
Governments and funding agencies have helped the humanitarian community reach more than a million of the country’s most vulnerable people with cash, food, school meals, medicine, protection. and livelihood support.
“We deeply appreciate the solidarity the international community has shown to the people of Sri Lanka, including through their generous contributions to the HNP,” said UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka. Lanka, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, adds that it must be maintained “if we are to isolate those most at risk from the impact of the ongoing crisis”.
Plan to help
Consistent with appeals from other UN agencies, HNP has raised $79 million for Sri Lanka through various countries and organizations (click here). here for the complete list).
The HNP Amendment, which extends the plan through 2022, requires $70 million in additional capital to reach a total of $149.7 million.
In response to the humanitarian community’s updated estimates of the number of people in need across all of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts, the expanded call will improve the nutrition of children, pregnant women and vulnerable populations. breastfeeding mothers; ensure safe drinking water; and protect vulnerable farming and fishing households.
‘Protect life’
Meanwhile, two consecutive seasons of crop failure, scarcity of foreign exchange, and reduction in household purchasing power have led to a sharp increase in food insecurity.
Between food inflation of 85.6% in October and another meager crop forecast for 2023, many Sri Lankans are struggling.
28% of the population – 6.3 million people – face moderate to severe acute food insecurity.
The UN official stressed the importance of increasing local food production and delivery, saying that “at this point, protecting livelihoods is protecting lives in Sri Lanka”.
Call for aid
According to the World Bank Development Update 2022From 2021 to 2022, the poverty rate nationwide will increase from 13.1% to 25.6%.
The HNP amends and supplements existing emergency operations undertaken by the UN and its partners.
The call targets immediate food assistance to 2.4 million vulnerable and food insecure people as well as assistance, including fertilizer, to 1.5 million farmers.
The plan also seeks to provide nutritional support to 2.1 million people, including pregnant women and school children; safe drinking water for more than 900,000 people; and essential medicines and health care, including sexual and reproductive health care, for 867,000 people.
This support will enable protective services to continue for vulnerable women and children at risk of violence.
