[ad_1]
Colombo [Sri Lanka]27th August (ANI): The staple food has become unaffordable as the island nation continues to suffer its worst financial recession since independence, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia George Laria-Ajay has warned.
In a statement issued on Friday, Laryea-Adjei also noted that crisis-ravaged Sri Lanka already has the highest levels of severe malnutrition in the region. UNICEF’s alarm comes as families continue to skip meals as staples become unaffordable.
Also read | COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna is suing Pfizer and BioNTech for patent infringement over its vaccine.
“As the economic crisis continues to plague Sri Lanka, the poorest and most vulnerable girls and boys are paying the heaviest price,” he said. “Children will go to bed hungry, not sure where their next meal will come from.” Mass food insecurity will only further exacerbate malnutrition, poverty, disease and death in the region, he added.
The nascent food insecurity has exacerbated the social problems already plaguing the country. The United Nations estimates that half of Sri Lanka’s children already need some form of emergency assistance.
Also read | Chinese authorities arrest Tibetans with pictures of the Dalai Lama around their necks.
Education, a sector hit by the economic crisis, has seen declining student enrolments, shortages of resources and outdated infrastructure making commutes dangerous. Laryea-Adjei further revealed that “increasing reports of abuse, exploitation and violence against children have emerged due to mounting economic pressures.”
Likewise, in Sri Lanka, more than 10,000 children have been institutionalized mainly due to poverty. These agencies do not provide critical family support essential to child development.
Unfortunately, the current crisis is pushing more and more families to place their children in institutions because they are no longer able to care for them. “If current trends continue, the hard-won gains made by Sri Lankan children could be reversed and, in some cases, permanently erased,” Laryea-Adjei said.
A number of United Nations agencies have distributed educational supplies, meals for pre-school children and cash grants to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. However, he noted that the current economic crisis has exposed the fragility at the heart of Sri Lanka’s social infrastructure.
Reflecting further on what UNICEF should do to help Sri Lankan children affected by the economic crisis, Laeya-Ajay said: “As the country grapples with the crisis, children need to be put directly at the heart of the solutions.
“It is essential to ensure that girls and boys of all ages can continue to learn so they can prepare for their futures and be free from the threats of child labour, exploitation and gender-based violence. Central and primary health services must be prioritized to Protect women and children from life-threatening disease and malnutrition.”
Without immediate action to protect children from the worst effects of the global recession, vulnerable children will be pushed further into poverty – their health, nutrition, learning and safety will all be compromised.
Therefore, the priority of the international community should be to invest in the resilience of local communities as bulwarks against crises. UNICEF said the Sri Lanka emergency was a warning to other South Asian countries about the risks of not preparing for economic hardship.
Laryea-Adjei concluded, “We cannot make children pay for a crisis they did not create. We must act today to secure their future tomorrow.” (ANI)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, the body of the content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
[ad_2]
Source link