Even as the global food shortage worsened and price of essentials hit record levels, the UN food agency, World Food Programme (WFP) announced it is cutting down on its rations to one million Sri Lankans it is feeding in the war-torn North and East of Sri Lanka.
“Scarcity of food items and the subsequent escalation in the cost of essential items may result in more than one million in the country facing starvation," Mohamed Saleheen, the WFP Country Director in Colombo told the media on Friday, April 25.
As a result of the situation, the WFP in Sri Lanka is facing major crisis, he said, and urged donor countries to respond immediately to overcome the crisis.
“More than a million civilians affected by civil war depend on the relief supplies provided by WFP. Most of these are internally displaced and recently resettled people currently residing in Kilinochchi, Mullaiththeevu, Jaffna, Mannaar, and Batticaloa.” said Mr. Saleheen
“Each month 9200 tons of food is required to meet the needs of the people in the North including Kilinochchi, Mullaiththeevu, Jaffna and Mannaar. However, we are able to ship only 6000 tons. If this crisis continues our activities will become complicated, and over million people dependent on WPF-funded programme will be directly affected. The civilians already suffering by the effects of civil war will be seriously hurt if unable to receive food supplies. The effect of malnutrition will not be felt immediately but will be visible only after a year or two.”
Saleheen said the cost of food supplies has increased by more than fifty percent and the allocation of US$64 million for 2008 is no longer sufficient for WFP operations and urged donors to provide immediate assistance to affected people.
“We appeal to the donor countries and the international community to realize the seriousness of the situation and immediately come to the aid of the affected people.”
Commenting on the UN rations cut, the Nation Building Ministry’s Project Director, R.H.W.A. Kumarasiri, said that though they have had discussions regarding the problem, there was still no final decision on reducing the rations.
However, Saleheen contradicting Kumarasiri said from May 1 WFP would be forced by circumstances to suspend their food-for-work programme to about 175,000 people in the war-affected regions and reduce rations of others from 1,900 kilo calories to 1,665 kilo calories per day per person.
While suspending the food-for work-programme, he said they would continue to assist the priority targets such as the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the returnees, the economically displaced, pregnant women, nursing mothers, children under five and school feeding, which he termed as “absolutely imperative”.
The WFP basket of rations comprises rice, wheat flour, cooking oil, dhal and sugar. The Sunday Times learns that the quantum of rice supplied -- 200 grammes per day per head -- will remain untouched, but cuts will be in wheat flour and sugar.
Kumarasiri said there was no problem in WFP procuring items like rice from the local market. The problem was in imported food items like wheat flour which were affected by rising world prices.
But, according to the WFP, already two local suppliers who had contracted to supply rice this year had defaulted as they are unable to supply at the prices contracted six months earlier. Mr. Salaheen said though they had budgeted US$64 million this year to feed the affected people, so far they had only been able to raise less than half, leaving a gap of US$ 35 million to be filled.
Saleheen warned that failure to meet the reality now would have its impact on ordinary people in several months down the line as their health might get affected. He was specifically concerned about children and pregnant women. Last year the WFP provided dry rations to affected Lankans on a budget of US$ 50 million, with more than half of it coming from the United States.
“Scarcity of food items and the subsequent escalation in the cost of essential items may result in more than one million in the country facing starvation," Mohamed Saleheen, the WFP Country Director in Colombo told the media on Friday, April 25.
As a result of the situation, the WFP in Sri Lanka is facing major crisis, he said, and urged donor countries to respond immediately to overcome the crisis.
“More than a million civilians affected by civil war depend on the relief supplies provided by WFP. Most of these are internally displaced and recently resettled people currently residing in Kilinochchi, Mullaiththeevu, Jaffna, Mannaar, and Batticaloa.” said Mr. Saleheen
“Each month 9200 tons of food is required to meet the needs of the people in the North including Kilinochchi, Mullaiththeevu, Jaffna and Mannaar. However, we are able to ship only 6000 tons. If this crisis continues our activities will become complicated, and over million people dependent on WPF-funded programme will be directly affected. The civilians already suffering by the effects of civil war will be seriously hurt if unable to receive food supplies. The effect of malnutrition will not be felt immediately but will be visible only after a year or two.”
Saleheen said the cost of food supplies has increased by more than fifty percent and the allocation of US$64 million for 2008 is no longer sufficient for WFP operations and urged donors to provide immediate assistance to affected people.
“We appeal to the donor countries and the international community to realize the seriousness of the situation and immediately come to the aid of the affected people.”
Commenting on the UN rations cut, the Nation Building Ministry’s Project Director, R.H.W.A. Kumarasiri, said that though they have had discussions regarding the problem, there was still no final decision on reducing the rations.
However, Saleheen contradicting Kumarasiri said from May 1 WFP would be forced by circumstances to suspend their food-for-work programme to about 175,000 people in the war-affected regions and reduce rations of others from 1,900 kilo calories to 1,665 kilo calories per day per person.
While suspending the food-for work-programme, he said they would continue to assist the priority targets such as the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the returnees, the economically displaced, pregnant women, nursing mothers, children under five and school feeding, which he termed as “absolutely imperative”.
The WFP basket of rations comprises rice, wheat flour, cooking oil, dhal and sugar. The Sunday Times learns that the quantum of rice supplied -- 200 grammes per day per head -- will remain untouched, but cuts will be in wheat flour and sugar.
Kumarasiri said there was no problem in WFP procuring items like rice from the local market. The problem was in imported food items like wheat flour which were affected by rising world prices.
But, according to the WFP, already two local suppliers who had contracted to supply rice this year had defaulted as they are unable to supply at the prices contracted six months earlier. Mr. Salaheen said though they had budgeted US$64 million this year to feed the affected people, so far they had only been able to raise less than half, leaving a gap of US$ 35 million to be filled.
Saleheen warned that failure to meet the reality now would have its impact on ordinary people in several months down the line as their health might get affected. He was specifically concerned about children and pregnant women. Last year the WFP provided dry rations to affected Lankans on a budget of US$ 50 million, with more than half of it coming from the United States.
