Lingering Crises: Poverty and Malnutrition in the Aftermath of Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis
Photo courtesy of Ceylon Independent
Seetha is an elderly woman who takes care of her three grandchildren, all below the age of 15. She lives in a section of her late daughter’s house, where the electricity has been disconnected for the past three months due to non-payment of arrears. She earns a living by selling manioc chips and earns about Rs.700 to 800 a day out of which Rs.500 is spent on food. As there is no electricity in her house she uses candles, purchasing 3 to 4 candles at Rs.30 per candle every day. On at least three days a week, Seetha is only able to afford one meal. Her grandchildren go to school when they can, often staying back if they are unable to afford the transport and food costs. Despite her financial situation, the only kind of government support she receives is a senior citizen allowance, amounting to a mere Rs.1,000 a month. She receives no other financial support from the government.
The eradication of poverty was a key aspect of the presidential campaigns of lead candidates in the run up to the presidential election. Promises to “make poverty a part of history” and to provide a “universal social protection system” intended to convey a certain sensitivity of the presidential candidates to the plight of many Sri Lankans, 25.9% of whom are estimated to live below the poverty line as of 2023, following the worst economic crisis since independence.
In August 2024 the official poverty line, which is the minimum expenditure per person, per month to fulfil his/her basic needs, at the national level, was Rs.16,152, compared to Rs.6,966 in 2019. A study published by LIRNEasia in 2023 found that four million Sri Lankans have fallen into poverty since 2019. The Sri Lanka Development Update for October 2024 by the World Bankhighlights that despite economic expansion, poverty and vulnerability levels are elevated, food insecurity widespread and health outcomes have deteriorated. While a semblance of stability has been achieved through key reforms, official statistics belies the reality of many households.
The economic crisis and immediate short term policy responses to the crisis including tax hikes, expenditure cuts and cost reflective energy and utility prices has aggravated poverty. It has also perhaps challenged certain stereotypes associated with poverty with the emergence of a “hidden poor” or “middle class poor”. This goes to show that “the depth of Sri Lanka’s poverty is bigger than what the official statistics claim”.
At the peak of the economic crisis, with high levels of food inflation, livelihood losses and declining household incomes, many households were struggling to afford nutritious meals. Research by Colombo Urban Lab among low income communities in Colombo found that the compounded effects of the pandemic and the economic crisis have resulted in a reduction of the quantity and quality of the food plate over time. Families are cutting back on their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables amid competing expenses.
A recent report by a Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to look into whether the child malnutrition issue is aggravating revealed that in the last six months of 2022, 74 percent of households investigated could not afford food or daily essentials. Ninety eight of the population was affected by high food prices following the economic crisis. As a result, only 53 percent of the population were able to afford a nutritious diet. The report considers food security at the household level under determinants or contributory factors for malnutrition. The World Food Programme (WFP) notes that nearly one third of children under the age of five are malnourished.
The Household Food Security Overview for 2023 by the WFP noted that nationally 24 percent of households were estimated to be moderately food insecure during August and September of 2023. The report compares the levels of food insecurity in March (17 percent of households) and August (24 percent of households) of last year and attributes the rise in food insecurity to a reduction in food consumption by vulnerable groups such as daily wage earners and those that rely on social assistance. The report also highlights that households spend more than 62 percent of total expenditure on food. A significant portion of one’s income being spent on food consumption means that the amount of money left for other essential goods and services such as health, education and utilities inevitably reduces, depriving households of a good quality life.
Given that expenses are competing in an unprecedented way, households are adopting several coping strategies such as pawning jewellery, disconnecting from the grid and also at times selling nutritional supplements provided by the government to manage expenses. In some cases, households have also run out of coping strategies.
They have also started to rely on negative food-related coping strategies including, for instance, reducing the number of meals consumed and the diversity of the food plate. Despite this, parents or adults in the household typically prioritise the health of their children at the expense of their own wellbeing and try to provide nutritious food that may be unaffordable for the rest of the family.
A summary report by the Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health (MoH) in 2024, reported that more than 10,000 children under the age of 5 suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Many of these children are not having an adequate diet, due to the insufficiency of the quantity of food consumed for their main meal. The report also considered school going children, and highlighted that wasting among examined school going children has increased from 21 percent in 2023, to 26.8 percent in 2024.
There is sometimes a tendency to underestimate government-led initiatives like a regular school meal programme. A systematic and coordinated school meal programme/midday meal programme could provide for nutrition gaps experienced by school going children who may not have access to a nutritious meal at the household level. Research by Colombo Urban Lab, with low income communities have revealed that most school going children do not receive a midday meal from school. Regulations on the types of food allowed – buns and biscuits are discouraged – means families are required to send rice and curry or pulses, which are arguably more expensive), resulting in absenteeism of these children as they fear being singled out at school.
While the requirement for nutritious meals for school is important, these rules should be made less stringent in the context of mounting expenses, particularly for low income households. Being sensitive to the circumstances of the families is also important to ensure that schools don’t place an unnecessary burden on families struggling to make ends meet.
Maternal malnutrition is also a significant concern, especially in the aftermath of the economic crisis. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that maternal nutrition is critical for foetal growth, and that poor nutrition often leads to long term, irreversible and detrimental consequences to the foetus. At the height of the economic crisis, in 2022, the government was unable to support the thriposha programme, which is a nutritional supplement provided to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, till the completion of six months for the infant. According to a study by the WFP, thriposha brings down the cost of a diet by 20 percent as it is provided free and fulfils micro-nutrient and protein needs of pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Understanding the nuanced and dynamic nature of poverty faced by Sri Lankans as well as its varying impacts is a necessary first step in developing policies and improving social safety nets that will help improve the overall wellbeing of the millions of Sri Lankans living in poverty today.
