Attachments
Overview
In 2023, WFP began the implementation of its newly approved Country Strategic Plan (CSP) (2023-2027). The new CSP focuses on meeting food and nutrition needs during and after crises, improving nutrition and nutrition-sensitive programmes, improving the sustainability of resilience-building initiatives, and in-country capacity strengthening under four Strategic Outcomes. The CSP complements the national policy framework, the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Sri Lanka (2023 – 2027) and the WFP strategic plan (2023 – 2025), warranting strategic alignment.
In the first half of 2023, the economy contracted by 7.9 percent [1]. The headline inflation decelerated to single digits – 4 percent – in August 2023 marginally easing the financial burden among the population and stemming the rise of food insecurity and nutrition. In March 2023, WFP and FAO’s second Joint Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) estimated that 17 percent of the population was moderately food insecure, an improvement from May 2022 when this figure was 28 percent. However, the poorer and more vulnerable households such as those dependent on daily wage labour, female-headed households, and households living and working in tea estates still face considerable challenges. COVID-19 and the subsequent economic crisis unravelled years of development gains and steady reductions in poverty. According to the World Bank, poverty was expected to increase in 2023 before declining over the medium term, in line with the gradual recovery [2].
In response to the prolonged effects of COVID-19 and the 2022 economic crisis, 2023 saw a continuation of WFP’s emergency response, reaching over 3 million people vulnerable to food insecurity with cash-based transfers, in-kind food, and support to national social protection systems such as the National School Meals Programme (NSMP) and the Thriposha[3] programme. Based on the findings of the 2023 CFSAM, in June 2023, WFP revised its beneficiary targets downwards from 3.4 million to 2.4 million people. Out of this revised target, WFP reached 1.2 million people with targeted food assistance in districts facing acute food insecurity; 592,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under five received nutrition support (Thriposha); and 1 million schoolchildren received fortified rice and red lentils as part of the continued support to the NSMP across all 25 districts.
Through WFP’s advocacy initiatives, Sri Lanka became a signatory to the Global School Meals Coalition in 2022 and the Government committed to expanding the NSMP to reach an additional 1.8 million schoolchildren by 2030 (total of 2.9 million). The increase will have a direct impact on the government budget allocated to this policy, going from USD 64 million a year to USD 204 million by 2030. The Government also committed to significant programmatic changes, increasing the quality and supply of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools or dental care facilities for school-aged children. The different commitments will be followed through the creation of enhanced national monitoring mechanisms and a regular follow-up piloted by the Coalition.
In 2023, WFP also initiated its first effort to fortify rice. The locally blended fortified rice will be distributed through the national school meal programme to make the meals more nutritious and address micronutrient deficiencies.
WFP utilized e-vouchers through micro-retail businesses to benefit food-insecure households by leveraging national social protection mechanisms. Additionally, it empowered* Samurdhi* micro-retail businesses, particularly those operated by women-headed households, and strengthened rural supply chains by fostering connections between smallholder farmers and micro retailers.
WFP worked together with the Department of Census and Statistics to provide technical support in incorporating the Washington Group Questions to Sri Lanka’s upcoming Census on Population and Housing scheduled for 2024. WFP worked with Disability Organizations Joint Front (DOJF) to conduct an awareness-raising workshop for Organizations of Persons with Disabilities advocating for better disability data in the country, to coincide with the upcoming census. The 34 (25 male, 9 female) participants were persons with disabilities (PWD) representing the 25 districts which were equipped with knowledge to share among PWDs in their communities to ensure active participation in the census.
WFP continued to be an active member of inter-agency fora such as the Food Security and Livelihoods Sector, Gender Task Force, UNSDCF Outcome Working Groups 1 (Strengthened, resilient and equitable social service systems), 2 (Economic recovery) 3 (Climate resilience) and 6 (Gender), Cash Working Group, United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD), Social Protection Working Group and the AAP working group. WFP co-leads the Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) sector along with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Vision Lanka, and in 2023 formed a technical working group to enhance and develop sector-specific preparedness tools.
WFP's implementation of these activities was only made possible thanks to generous contributions and collaborations with the Government and its counterparts, other UN agencies, development partners and donors.