February 02, Colombo (LNW): Over 1.5 million kilogrammes of food aid, including essential items such as rice, lentils, and dates, stored at the Veyangoda warehouse complex under the Food Commissioner’s Department, have expired and are no longer suitable for consumption, reports said.
The food, which had been intended for distribution to vulnerable communities across Sri Lanka, was rendered useless due to significant delays in its distribution.
The stock, which was received under the World Food Programme (WFP) in 2023, was meant to assist low-income families, schoolchildren, and other at-risk groups.
However, despite its timely arrival, authorities failed to ensure that the supplies reached their intended recipients, leading to the unfortunate wastage of the goods.
The Veyangoda District Granary, a large storage facility covering 28,000 square feet and comprising 16 warehouses, is a central hub for government food reserves.
Of these, 10 warehouses are dedicated to food storage, and three were used to house the now-expired stock of WFP aid.
The food, sourced from countries such as Kazakhstan and Australia, had been kept in storage with the intention of assisting those most in need.
A team of officials, including Deputy Minister Mohamed Munir, MP Ruwan Mapalagama, and law enforcement officers, visited the Veyangoda facility earlier today to assess the extent of the damage.
During the inspection, it was noted that the mismanagement and lack of timely action had directly contributed to the massive wastage of valuable food supplies.
This incident has raised serious concerns about the efficiency and accountability of food distribution systems in the country. Experts are calling for immediate reforms to ensure that aid reaches the people who need it most and that such resources are not wasted due to logistical or administrative failures.
