More parents in Sri Lanka are seeking to admit their children to childcare institutions due to increasing food insecurity, poverty and internal and external labour migration, the United Nations (UN) said.
UNICEF said that child protection issues increased significantly in 2022, especially in rural and estate areas.
“Children face protection challenges, with more parents seeking to admit them to childcare institutions due to increasing food insecurity, poverty and internal and external labour migration,” UNICEF said.
Sri Lanka is in the middle of an acute economic crisis that is expected to continue throughout 2023, with an estimated 6.2 million people, including 2.9 million children, in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in 2023.
In a context of soaring inflation, heightened income insecurity and scarce availability of essential products (e.g., food, fuel, fertilizers and medicines), families are unable to meet their basic needs, UNICEF said.
Throughout 2022, recurring and frequent natural hazards continued to affect the agriculture sector, contributing to low yields.
According to UNICEF, with the forecast 40 per cent reduction in food production compared with previous years, food insecurity could further deteriorate from October 2022 to February 2023.
UNICEF says while 5.3 million people were already skipping meals as a coping strategy, this number is expected to increase drastically in the coming months with the combined impact of climate-induced natural hazards and a political impasse.