Attachments
In Numbers
6.3 million people are food-insecure
6.7 million people are not consuming adequate diets
3.4 million people are being prioritized to receive assistance from WFP
Highlights
• WFP has now reached over 19,000 people with cash-based transfers (CBT) since commencing distributions on 15 August.
• WFP has reached 2,490 pregnant women with value vouchers of LKR 15,000 (US$40) each to support food and nutritional needs.
• WFP has 24,440 mt of food currently in the pipeline for its emergency food assistance and school feeding support, with 79 mt now in storage and 2,075 mt already in transit.
Situation Update
• The economic situation has continued to deteriorate in Sri Lanka, with the headline inflation rate spiking to another record high in July. This rate of 66.7 percent marked yet another alarming jump, from 58.9 percent in June (based on the latest yearon-year National Consumer Price Index [NCPI]).
• The impact of rising inflation and prices on the population could translate into an even worse food security situation. Already, 6.3 million people are food-insecure, based on WFP and FAO’s Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission. These numbers could mount even further without urgent intervention.
• WFP is continuing its monthly telephone surveys covering all nine provinces across estate, urban, and rural settings. These surveys gather data on household food security, nutrition, access to food, markets, livelihoods, and debt. WFP has also completed its market assessment across 35 markets, with results to be released shortly.
• The crisis is likely to have a substantial impact on children, with many at risk of losing access to nutritious meals amid disruptions to the national school feeding programme.