Sri Lanka continues to go through the worst economic crisis in history. With high overall inflation (around 65%), goods and services prices have skyrocketed, and many essential items are not available in the market. According to the latest Food Security Update by the World Bank in November 2022, Sri Lanka has the sixth highest food inflation in the world. Instability across the country is being felt by all. According to World Food Program (WFP), 6.7 million people are not consuming an adequate diet, and 5.3 million people are reducing the number of meals partaken during the day and more than 60% of families are eating less, cheaper, and less nutritious food. According to a recent UNICEF report, 5.7 million people, including 2.3 million children, are in dire need of food support. Also,15.7% of children under 5 are suffering from malnutrition. Malnutrition in Sri Lanka was now the second worst in South Asia and the tenth worst in the world. As per the UN, half of Sri Lankan children already require emergency assistance. These numbers show how the economic and food crisis has really impacted Sri Lanka and its people and children.

Due to the current crisis, one of the major priorities has been to ensure children, youth and the families are taken care of with short team and long-term interventions to have food security. The provision of nutrition packs specifically for the malnourished children and provision of dry ration packs for participants are two key short-term priorities. To address food security in a sustainable way, the longer-term priority has been to equip the participant and their families to have home garden and income generating activities.

In addition to these, the other priorities are addressing youth issues and addressing physical and cognitive development for children. The holistic developmental approach is vital during this time of crisis as children and youth who are facing the economic and food crisis are facing many social and emotional challenges as well. The last priority is to have more growth in the extreme poverty context in the north and eastern part of Sri Lanka. These communities are also affected by the civil war which ended in 2009.

In spite of the crisis, the partners in Sri Lanka have the vision to show the love of God by caring for the children and families. Meeting social needs opens doors to show the sacrificial love. Many of the children and caregivers experience this love and have built very close relationship with the partners. This is a great impact of the program since Sri Lankan partners work within a difficult context. The partners in the frontline not only do the regular program and care for the children who are affected by economic and food crisis, but also involved in local governance work, reconciliation work, disaster response, working with widows, etc.

The children feel loved and protected. The sponsored children in the project get nutritious food, activity based education and more than that they get love from the workers. They experience love and care through the Child Workers in the project. They also know that there is someone other than their caregivers, who is far away, who cares for them and love them. They do love the sponsors and really value your support and relationship. The support of gracious sponsors have been able to impact many lives in this little island.

With the current economic crisis, the help they are giving through Compassion has helped them to have meals and also ensure their holistic growth. We see a big reduction in malnutrition in the children who are supported by Compassion. We also see our partners being the salt and light in their communities to show the needed love for everyone who are suffering during the crisis.