Sri Lanka Crisis – Emergency Response - WFP 2022

November 2022 – Since March 2020 Sri Lanka has been facing a growing economic and financial crisis. This crisis intensified throughout the past year leading to a shortage of essential food and non-food items significant increases in commodity prices and the devaluation of the Sri Lankan rupee. The key humanitarian impacts include the loss of livelihoods rising food insecurity lack of drinking water power cuts and shortages of life-saving medicines among other issues. The United Nations estimates that 7 million people across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka require humanitarian assistance as a result of this multi-dimensional crisis. With GAC’s support the World Food Programme (WFP) is working to save lives and help reduce the suffering of people affected by the humanitarian crisis. Project activities include: (1) delivering non-perishable nutritious foods to people in need; (2) providing emergency cash-for-work assistance in semi-urban and rural areas; (3) making multi-purpose cash transfers to cover immediate food needs and support livelihoods; and (4) facilitating transport and emergency logistics response equipment.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to integrated humanitarian assistance for those in most urgent need; (2) restoration of livelihoods and access to critical services; and (3) enhanced support for the needs of various groups of people based on gender age disability displacement and other vulnerability criteria. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.