This report is produced by the OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) on behalf of the ISCG. The updates below cover activities carried out between 12 November – 25 November and provide an overview of response activities to meet the needs articulated in the Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan and its subsequent revision.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Humanitarian interventions which are under the Humanitarian Needs and Priorities plan have expanded in recent weeks.
Especially nutrition interventions have scaled up considerably, increasing by 26% within the reporting period. - To date and under the current humanitarian response, approximately 1.5 million people have received assistance, including more than 390,000 children who are regularly receiving school meals prepared with WFP rice.
- US$92.7 million out of the requested $149.7 million have been contributed by donors towards the HNP, making the appeal 61.9% funded.
- The year-on-year inflation for November was at 61%, down from 66% in October and a high of 69.8% in September.1 • 2,000 MT of urea fertilizer has reached Colombo port on 13 November. This is the second vessel with fertilizer to reach Sri Lanka under the financial assistance of US$105 Million given by the World Bank to buy urea fertilizer needed for paddy and maize crops in the Maha season.
- The Sri Lankan government has lifted the ban on the herbicide Glyphosate, which was imposed seven years ago.
- According to the latest Food Security Update by the World Bank, Sri Lanka has the sixth highest food inflation in the world, which is presently at 85.6 percent.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Sri Lanka continues to face a multidimensional crisis compounded by food insecurity, threatened livelihoods, shortages of vital and essential medicines, as well as rising protection concerns. The economic crisis is the worst since Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948 and is having humanitarian consequences for many vulnerable people in the country. A 40 percent reduction in agricultural outputs in the 2021/2022 Maha and 50 percent reduction during the 2022 Yala seasons have further exacerbated the situation. Forecasts for the 2022/2023 Maha season indicate a significantly reduced harvest as well, which, coupled with a food inflation of 85.6 percent in October, means that a significant part of the population is finding it difficult to meet basic needs.
The food security situation continues to be problematic with around three in ten households consuming insufficient food, which includes eating fewer and less diverse diets. According to WFP’s Market Functionality Index, traders are reporting a slight scarcity of cereals. In particular, flour, bread and millet are less available than in previous months2 . Food inflation in Sri Lanka remains high and was 85.6 percent in October. According to the World Bank, Sri Lanka currently has the 6th highest food price inflation in the world3 .
The implementation rate of humanitarian responses under the HNP has seen a substantial increase in recent weeks, due largely to commodities and resources arriving in Sri Lanka at a faster pace than previously. In total, around 1.5 million people have received assistance as of the end of November. Approximately 394,000 school children have so far benefitted from regular school meals prepared with WFP rice, and the plan is to reach approximately one million children over the next few months. Household level in-kind and cash & voucher assistance is continuing at an increased pace, as is the distribution of urea fertilizer to smallholder farmers. With regard to nutritional support, WFP aims to reach one million pregnant and lactating women as well as children under five, who will receive Thriposha, which is a soy and maize based nutritious food aimed at minimizing and preventing maternal and child malnutrition. To secure livelihoods in the face of an anticipated weak Maha harvest, the window of opportunity to support Sri Lankan farmers and their communities is narrowing. Immediate action to provide farmers with quality seeds, fertilizers and pesticides will enable them to protect their livelihoods and feed themselves and their communities. It is also critical to provide the most vulnerable farmers, livestock keepers and fishers with cash assistance to enable them to restore their productive assets and fast-track their recovery. UNICEF, UNFPA and implementing partners are continuing to provide protection support to vulnerable women and children, and WHO is continuing to support the Ministry of Health primarily with the procurement of essential medicines and other medical supplies.
Several Assessments on the food security and nutritional situation are either ongoing or planned, based on which informed decisions can be made on the future requirements for humanitarian aid. The data from the recently completed micronutrient survey undertaken by the Medical Research Institute (MRI), supported by WFP and UNICEF, is currently being analyzed.
Source : ReliefWeb
