World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Batticaloa Market where the prices of fruits and vegetables have risen due to heavy rains and poor harvests.

Kanagasabai Nagamuthu is 70 years old. She sells mangoes in the market, and is the breadwinner of the family. She looks after her disabled husband and two grandchildren. Her son died of a snake bite a couple of years ago. She survives because she receives food stamps from the government. Life has become difficult in the past few months because of rising prices.   

Thangamma, 75 years old, is elderly and single.  She struggles to make ends meet.

Chillies are an essential ingredient for Sri Lankan cuisine, but the price has more than doubled in the past few months.

Fruit seller Pubeneshwari, 55 years old, says that she is not selling a lot of fruits these days because poor harvests have pushed up prices.

Together with the government, WFP is encouraging farmers to grow their own vegetables through home gardens by providing tools and other support.