HALF OF SL HOUSEHOLDS EATING LESS

Human Rights Impact of Economic Crisis

- By HUZEFA ALIASGER

In the event of food insecurity triggered by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, more than half of all households have turned to coping strategies such as skipping meals, eating less preferred food or limiting portion sizes, and over 27 per cent of households consumed inadequate diets, according to the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Quoting the World Food Programme (WFP), the OHCHR said in its report on human rights violations in Sri Lanka -2025 that 16 per cent of households nationwide were food insecure after the impact of the economic crisis. These have contributed to an increase in malnutrition for underweight children under five, from 12.2 to 17 per cent, the report says.