IPS releases latest publication titled 'Estimating Aswesuma Effectiveness'

While Sri Lanka slowly recovers from its largest economic crisis so far, social protection programmes are central to the country's growth. The crisis has put a large set of households in or near poverty, with households reeling from losses in income and price hikes.

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Social protection is not a new topic for Sri Lanka; however, existing social protection programmes at the onset of the economic crisis in 2022, were unable to provide the necessary relief for many low-income families. With limited government funding, these programmes had difficulties in expanding, and According to the World Bank's estimate from 2023, poverty rose to 25 percent in 2022, from 11.3 percent in 2019.

This increase in poverty signalled a widespread need for improved social protection mechanisms, and in response, the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) introduced Aswesuma as a temporary measure to replace the existing Samurdhi programme.

Aswesuma aims to more accurately identify and assist the most vulnerable households through targeted cash transfers, supporting their pathway out of vulnerability.