Food Insecurity : Many Sri Lankan families sacrificing meals

The World Food Program said that more than one-third of the population which is 37 percent is now facing acute food insecurity.

Around eight in ten households are regularly turning to food-based coping strategies such as sacrificing meals, borrowing food, and reducing the number of meals eaten. 

July saw a particularly steep spike in reliance on coping strategies (19 percentage points), which persisted into August.

The crisis is causing disproportionate impacts across different segments of society. 

This was seen across a range of divides – female-headed households are faring worse than male-headed households, while those in estate and urban areas are also faring worse than those in rural areas. Similar disparities can be found across education levels and income sources.