Food security seen improving, but prevalent within specific regions in SL: FAO

Food security in Sri Lanka is improving across all provinces, but is still prevalent within specific regions, the Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report revealed.

The report estimates 3.9 million people or 17 percent of the population is in moderate acute food insecurity, which is nearly a 40 percent decrease from June/July last year. Nearly 10,000 people are severely acute food-insecure, down from 66,000 people last year.

However, despite this positive trend, food insecurity remains high in certain districts, especially Kilinochchi, Nuwara Eliya, Mannar, Batticaloa, Vavuniya, and Jaffna. The highest level of acute food insecurity was found within the tea plantation communities in the Estate sector and among daily wage labourers and households who rely on social assistance programmes, such as Samurdhi, as their main source of income.