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There is a worsening economic crisis in Sri Lanka due to the global food crisis, lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and high government spending. Inflation has increased to at least 64 per cent, resulting in protest and civil unrest. Many Sri Lankans are no longer able to afford basic goods. Food, medicine and fuel are increasingly difficult to acquire due to resource shortages.
Schools were completely closed during lockdown periods in Sri Lanka. Children in poverty were further endangered by their lack of access to education for future opportunities, and our local partners are working hard to find ways to help Sri Lankan children catch up on missed learning.
Watch the video update from Sri Lanka below to find out more.
READ MOREkeyboard_arrow_down READ LESSkeyboard_arrow_upGive today to support Sri Lankan children and their families during this time of economic crisis. Your donation will provide food packs and other essential supplies that have become unaffordable for families.
Thank you for praying for local workers, children and families in Sri Lanka.
For families living day-to-day in Sri Lanka, the pandemic and quarantine measures that followed drove them into further hardship. Day labourers like seven-year-old Pravin’s father, struggled to support the needs of their families and were worried they’d have no food to eat. Read more open_in_new
Please note: Sri Lanka is one of nine Compassion partner countries that are severely affected by the current global food crisis. Our local partners are responding with both short-term relief and long-term solutions to fight hunger.
Compassion’s program is contextualised across countries and communities, as well as age groups.
Compassion assisted children in Sri Lanka typically attend program activities at the local child development centre on Saturdays. Here is an example of what a typical program day looks like for children in Sri Lanka.
8:00am – A time for songs, games and introductions.
10:30am – Break time, when children can play in a safe environment and develop friendships.
11:00am – Social-emotional lessons ranging from conflict resolution to developing healthy self-esteem. Children often come from challenging home environments and are taught social and personal skills.
12:00pm – Lunch and social time. Children enjoy a meal of rice, meat or fish, vegetables and fruit.
1:00pm – Health lessons, in which children learn practical health and hygiene lessons.
2:00pm – Letter writing and career planning. Older children work with local staff to identify their strengths and interests and set goals for their future.
Children can also attend camps, sporting events, field trips and talent shows. Parents of Compassion assisted children meet once a month to learn about a variety of topics.
mothers die from pregnancy related causes per 100,000 births
children under the age of 5 die per 1,000 births
of children under 4 years old are underweight
Lush forests, pristine beaches and rocky highlands cover Sri Lanka’s landscape. The island nation is highly susceptible to the devastation caused by natural disasters like tsunamis.
Sri Lanka is slowly emerging from a decades-long civil war that ended in 2009. This scenic country carries the scars of the conflict, and poverty continues pushing its way into every area of children’s lives. Poverty is overwhelmingly concentrated in rural communities in the northern and eastern regions where access to education, healthcare and adequate shelter and nutrition are limited.
In 2009, the Sinhalese-majority government army forced a complete defeat for the Tamil Tigers (known as the LTTE), ending a long and bitter conflict. Civilians were caught in the crossfire throughout the 26-year long war, and between 80,000 and 100,000 people were killed.
While the fighting has stopped, the legacy of the conflict lingers. By the end of 2012, the majority of those who fled during the civil war had returned to Sri Lanka, but thousands have been unable to return to their communities and remain internally displaced.
Child labour and forced labour trap many families in generational poverty; but recent efforts to improve access to education have helped many more children (particularly girls) to enter the classroom. The quality of education needs to improve, as schools and teachers often don’t have the resources they need to get the best results for children, but enrolment rates are strong—which is a source of hope for the next generation of Sri Lankan children.
Many daily wage earners have lost work and their families face increased hunger and hardship in the midst of the global food crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Local partners and staff continue to reach out to offer encouragement and support; they are delivering food packs and medical support to meet immediate, urgent needs, as well as providing long-term solutions to offer sustained food security.
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