WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by project type | Page 214

Standard Project Report 2016
disparities exist with high rates of undernutrition in the Uva and Northern Provinces (MRI, 2012). Sri Lanka is the
only country in the world where the rates of acute malnutrition are higher than those of chronic malnutrition.
According to a nutrition survey among primary school children conducted by the MRI in 2016, 1 in 3 children aged
6-12 years was found to be underweight and 1 in 5 was anaemic. If not prevented, malnutrition will continue to
affect school-aged children, negatively impacting their ability to learn and develop.
Rice is the staple food in the country and a large proportion of it is produced locally. Agriculture accounts for only
7.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), but nearly one-third of the country's labour force is dependent on the
sector and productivity remains low. Rice cultivation is primarily rain-fed and is therefore vulnerable to erratic
weather patterns.
National level food availability in Sri Lanka is currently not a significant concern, and at present, 80 percent of Sri
Lanka's food requirement is produced domestically while only 20 percent is imported. Road networks in Sri Lanka
have significantly expanded during the last 10 years. This expansion, along with the long term downward trend in
overall poverty levels, gives an indication of improved economic access to food.
Sri Lanka is vulnerable to recurring climate shocks such as floods, landslides, and droughts, which further
undermine the socio-economic status of affected populations. In May 2016, Sri Lanka was hit by Tropical Cyclone
Roanu, that caused the worst flooding seen in 18 years as well as landslides, which destroyed homes and
submerged entire villages. Despite this massive, concentrated rainfall occurrence, both the south west and north
east monsoons failed to bring enough rainfall and by the end of 2016 the country experienced a drought,
significantly affecting paddy cultivation.
The adverse effects of climate change have a negative impact on the affected vulnerable populations whose
livelihoods predominantly rely on rain-fed agriculture. Loss of productive assets and livelihoods is one of the
underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, a greater proportion of women in
Sri Lanka (31 percent) are engaged in the agricultural sector compared to men (25 percent), making them even
more vulnerable to the detrimental impacts of climate change.
Response of the Government and Strategic Coordination
The Government of Sri Lanka continues to implement its development priorities, which include addressing food
insecurity, malnutrition, and climate shocks as part of its commitment to achieving zero hunger (Sustainable
Development Goal 2—End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable
agriculture). The Government's recognition of the importance of food and nutrition security and their centrality to the
national development agenda is reflected in the role of the existing Inter-ministerial National Nutrition Council and
the multi-sectoral National Steering Committee for Nutrition. In addition, the National Nutrition Secretariat of Sri
Lanka (NNSSL) and the Food Security Secretariat were established under the Presidential Secretariat to coordinate
efforts to address food insecurity and malnutrition in the country. The National Nutrition Secretariat also convenes
the national Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) People's Forum, in which WFP is an active member.
In 2013, the first Multi-Sector Action Plan for Nutrition (MSAPN) was developed by NNSSL which assigns
responsibilities and funds to ministries on the basis of five targets set out by the World Health Organization's (WH