A recent survey conducted by Save the Children revealed that more than a third of families in Sri Lanka have been struggling to feed their children as a result of the country’s economic crisis.

The data which was collected from May to June of 2022 surveyed 2309 households across nine districts in Sri Lanka.

Of the households surveyed more than a third of families said that “they had been forced to reduce their children’s food intake in the past two weeks.” Additionally, thirty percent of families stated that “they had reduced the number of meals they eat in a day.”

According to the survey only around one-third of families were able to satisfy their household food needs.

Price hikes, fuel, and food shortages have left families struggling to obtain basic necessities.

Save the Children’s National Director in Sri Lanka, Julian Chellappah has warned that “the economic situation in Sri Lanka remains critical.” Chellappah has emphasized that families “are struggling to get food on the table, fuel in their car, and access to basic healthcare.”

The survey also highlights that poor families are being driven to crisis-level measures in response to food shortages including “borrowing money, taking children out of school or selling essential assets.”

3% percent of families surveyed have turned to extreme coping strategies such as “selling their homes, child labor, child marriage, begging, or illegal activities like theft or sex work.”

Save the Children has urged the Sri Lankan government to find a “sustainable political and economic solution to this crisis.” The organization plans to address the needs of families by providing cash and livelihood support for nearly one million people.

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