By: Staff Writer
October 15, Colombo (LNW): The World Food Program (WFP) has reaffirmed its commitment to providing continuous support to Sri Lanka.
This assurance was conveyed by a WFP delegation during a meeting with Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka.
The representatives confirmed that WFP would sustain its ongoing initiatives in the country without any interruptions, while also expressing readiness to introduce new programs if additional needs emerge, despite a partial easing of the food crisis in Sri Lanka.
The WFP delegation included key figures such as Country Director Abdur Rahim Siddiqui, Government Partnerships Officer Musthafa Nihmath, and Deputy Country Director for Sri Lanka, Gerard Rebello. Also present at the meeting was Additional Secretary to the President, Roshan Gamage.
The WFP Executive Board has approved Sri Lanka’s Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for the period from 2023 to December 2027, with an allocation of USD 74.87 million.
Effective from January 2023, this plan aligns with Sri Lanka’s national policies and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2023-2027.
The CSP aims to achieve food security and improved nutrition in Sri Lanka by 2030, supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, as well as contributing to SDGs 1, 5, 10, and 13, and strengthening national humanitarian and development efforts in line with SDG 17.
The WFP recognized the Sri Lankan government’s dedication to achieving food security and advancing the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WFP Executive Director David M. Beasley, in correspondence with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, also highlighted the plan’s role in assisting Sri Lanka’s national food security efforts, providing technical assistance, and offering policy advice to maximize the effectiveness of these initiatives.
The funding for these WFP operations in Sri Lanka will rely on voluntary contributions from donors, making the success of the CSP contingent upon the level of support received.
