The United Nations warned on Friday that cash-strapped Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic catastrophe might turn into a severe humanitarian disaster, with millions already in need of assistance. ‘We are concerned that this might escalate into a full-fledged humanitarian emergency, and we are taking steps to address that risk,’ Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian organization OCHA, told reporters.
According to him, the UN and its partners are seeking $47 million to meet the urgent needs of 1.7 million of the most vulnerable people and those most affected by the disaster. Months of daily blackouts, huge lines for gasoline, and record inflation have made living miserable in the South Asian island country of 22 million people. The government has already defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt, and a serious lack of foreign currency has prevented traders from importing appropriate amounts of food, gasoline, and other crucial products.
Sri Lanka’s biggest economic crisis since independence in 1948, he claimed, was already wreaking havoc on agriculture and livelihoods. Many people are now ‘going without appropriate food,’ according to Laerke, who also warned that ‘access to health care, protection, and children’s education is jeopardized’. Christian Skoog, Unicef’s representative in Sri Lanka, also cautioned that the situation was terrible, with 17% of children under the age of five already malnourished and stunted before the crisis. He stated that the UN Youngsters’ Fund was particularly interested in assisting 56,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
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