By Kumaran Manivannan, AGH Reactive Advocacy 

Over the last few months, the South Asian island country of Sri Lanka has been in turmoil due to a complex politico-economic crisis. Due to a combination of factors including COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, political decisions and poor economic management, the country has been unable to pay its foreign debts since May. This has caused skyrocketing inflation and a severe shortage of essential goods and services. 

Why is this a health issue?

The lack of essential resources such as food and health services has created a humanitarian emergency. The UN estimates that 5.7 million Sri Lankans are in need of ‘immediate life-saving assistance’.  There is a severe lack of imported food items such as wheat flour, causing exorbitant prices and even black markets. A recent UN report found that 70% of households are resorting to reducing their food intake to get by, including skipping meals. A collapse in the national School Meal Program that has been ensuring schoolchildren have nutritious meals also means that only 25% of students have access to this safety net. 

Additionally, health services around the country lack supplies of medical & surgical supplies including 200 essential medications, 2,700 surgical consumables and 250 basic laboratory items. This, combined with regular blackouts, has been causing surgeries and procedures to be cancelled, and residents to run out of important treatments. Of particular concern is the impact of these shortages on birth deliveries and neonatal healthcare. 

Many other basic resources are also in severe shortage, affecting Sri Lankans’ ability to live stable lives. Extreme shortages of fuel means hours of lining up in queues, for petrol needed to go to work and shops, or diesel to run power generators to keep appliances running and keep food fresh. 

What’s being done to help?

So far, India has been the primary source of foreign aid for Sri Lanka. From January to July, the Indian government has provided between US$3.5-4 billion dollars in grants, loans and credit lines. There has also been a variety of grants, loans and aid given by multiple governments, including the US, China and the EU. 

The UN has called for $47.2 million to fund a Humanitarian Needs and Priorities Plan in order to help 1.7 million people who have been most affected by the crisis. This includes $25.3 million for UNICEF to provide various types of essential aid to Sri Lankan children. The International Monetary Fund has been in negotiations with the local authorities to provide a bailout to help the country pay its debts, but is demanding changes to the government’s economic policy and anti-corruption laws before providing billions in assistance. 

The Australian government announced in late June that it would provide $50 million in Sri Lanka, including $22 million to the World Food Program to provide emergency food supplies, and $23 million in development assistance, particularly to protect health services and vulnerable populations. However, there has been controversy due to the decision to use some of this money to fund a ‘Fisheries Monitoring Centre’, aiming to monitor over 4000 fishing boats to prevent asylum seeker boats from reaching Australia. 

How can Australia and Australians help?

1. Stay informed about the situation and support the movement for a transparent and economically responsible government
2. Encourage Australian government leaders to increase aid to Sri Lanka and support humanitarian efforts, including UN missions
3. Donate to organisations and appeals that provide aid to Sri Lanka, such as: 
   • UNICEF Appeal: https://www.unicef.org/appeals/srilanka
   • World Food Program: https://sharethemeal.org/donate

References:

1. https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/18/sri-lanka-economic-fuel-crisis-mass-protests-wickremesinghe-rajapaksa-politics/
2. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-61028138
3. https://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-food-security-crisis-humanitarian-needs-and-priorities-2022-june-sept-2022-ensita
4. https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2022/07/19/india-mulls-aid-in-sri-lankas-hour-of-need/
5. https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1120032
6. https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2022/06/30/pr22242-imf-staff-concludes-visit-to-sri-lanka
7. https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/support-sri-lanka
8. https://twitter.com/AusHCSriLanka/status/1539246864872226818/photo/2
9. https://srilanka.embassy.gov.au/clmb/ResponseSupportforSriLankaEconomicCrisis.html