Food insecurity has “increased dramatically ” in cash-strapped Sri Lanka, with the number of people requiring life-saving assistance doubling to 3.4 million, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
The U.N. stated that about 6.3 million Sri Lankans face “moderate-to-severe acute” food insecurity due to the country’s poor harvest season and high food inflation, which peaked at 85.6 percent last month.
Sri Lanka’s poverty rate has increased from 13.1 percent in 2021 to 25.6 percent this year, according to the World Bank’s data.
“Food insecurity in Sri Lanka has increased dramatically due to two consecutive seasons of poor harvests, foreign exchange shortages, and reduced household purchasing power,” the U.N. said in a statement….