© WFP/Nguyenduc Hoang
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has made significant progress in its human development and socioeconomic spheres, since the end of its 26-year civil conflict in 2009. This is reflected in its middle-income status and achievement of most Millennium Development Goals.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the island nation’s tourism industry, while reducing foreign direct investment.
Regulations and restrictions which were introduced to curb the spread of the pandemic have hampered income-earning opportunities, impacting food and nutrition security in the country.
What the World Food Programme is doing in Sri Lanka
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Nutrition
WFP supports the national health system in the prevention and management of moderate acute malnutrition. Projects include strengthening national capacities to enhance the availability, accessibility and consumption of fortified foods; enhancing programmatic efforts through research on food security and nutrition; and developing a Social Behaviour Change Communication strategy to improve dietary practices. The Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network was launched in 2019 to increase private sector engagement in nutrition-related solutions.
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School feeding
The National School Meal Programme, introduced by the Government in 1931, functions as an essential safety net to support children’s access to education, health and nutrition. WFP has been supporting the programme since 2003. It is currently providing technical and capacity-building assistance to ensure that meals address nutrient deficiencies among schoolchildren. The programme is augmented through the home-grown school feeding project, which promotes the use of locally grown food in school meals.
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Resilience building and livelihood support
WFP in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka works to strengthen food systems and ensure access and availability of food all year round. WFP’s flagship project “R5n” builds resilience among smallholder farmers, assisting them in preparing for recurring climate-induced shocks through better access to climate forecasts and resources. Activities include helping farmers diversify their sources of income; improving access to markets; and climate-proofing community assets.
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Emergency preparedness and response
WFP works with the Government to develop shock-responsive safety-net programmes, to better prepare for and respond to shocks, in order to safeguard communities and development gains. WFP helps improve national capacities to adapt to and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change, by supporting information management and enabling coordination among partners for effective emergency planning, to ensure people have access to food all year round, even in times of crisis.
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Social protection
WFP works with the Department of Samurdhi, which conducts the largest national safety net programme, to protect families in emergencies, while safeguarding gains on the road to zero hunger. WFP helps strengthen the shock-responsive capacities of the programme and works to enhance existing national safety nets which includes supporting the development of smart cards for Samurdhi beneficiaries for cash transfers during emergencies.
In focus
Sri Lanka news releases
Go to pagePartners and donors
Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Sri Lanka is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:Find out more about the state of food security in Sri Lanka
Visit the food security analysis pageOperations in Sri Lanka
Contacts
Colombo
Colombo Country Office 2, Jawatte Avenue, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka
Phone: +94 11 2586244
Fax: +94 11 2502468