The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Sri Lanka have signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) on its next phase of partnership to enhance food security and nutrition, in support of the government’s Vision 2025 and Sustainable Development Goals.
The LoU was signed by Dr. R. H. S. Samaratunga, Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance and Brenda Barton, WFP Representative and Country Director.
Over the course of the next five years, WFP will support the government on a number of initiatives at a strategic and operational level, as detailed in the WFP Country Strategic Plan (2018-2022).
“We are pleased to continue building on our bold, shared vision of a nutritious and food secure Sri Lanka,” said Brenda Barton, Representative and Country Director of WFP. “The WFP-Government of Sri Lanka partnership, now into its 50th year, is fully aligned with Sri Lanka’s national priorities, including Vision 2025.”
WFP and the Government of Sri Lanka will continue to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition and promotes longer-term recovery and resilience for thousands of people.
This includes improving the productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities, especially women; helping to ensure that children receive a needed meal at school; tackling the underlying causes of high and stagnant malnutrition rates; and assisting the government to prepare and respond in times of climate shocks.
The five-year budget is Rs. 74.8 billion (USD 46.8 million). Of priority, will be new, dynamic multi-stakeholder partnerships, including private sector, and civil society, which are vital to delivering on the CSP and achieving zero hunger in Sri Lanka. The CSP was designed to ensure that people have access to nutritious food and help them become more resilient to climate shocks. It was developed through rigorous process, which included a comprehensive Country Portfolio Evaluation of the last five years (2012-2016) and a multi-stakeholder strategic consultation of the National Strategic Review of Food Security and Nutrition towards zero hunger. The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.
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