July 22, Colombo (LNW): Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for an urgent, comprehensive national strategy to tackle the critical issue of child poverty in Sri Lanka.
At an event at Mahagama Sekara Maha Vidyalaya, Premadasa revealed that 25 per cent of the nation’s children suffer from poverty, with 42 per cent facing multidimensional poverty, as per international data.
Premadasa stressed the urgency of the situation, advocating for the creation of a Presidential Task Force focused on eliminating child poverty.
The Opposition Leader proposed that this initiative be implemented through District Secretariats in all 25 districts to ensure effective local-level action.
Criticising the government’s lack of a plan to address the crisis, Premadasa highlighted the detrimental effects of child poverty, describing it as a relentless cycle.
He further explained that poverty hinders children’s education, resulting in poor academic performance, unemployment, and perpetuated poverty.
