Food crisis: G7 alliance offers aid to Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe has revealed that the G7 alliance on global food crisis has offered the country US$ 14 million aid to spend on food.

During an international conference on food security, acting President Wickremesinghe said, "The G7 global alliance on food security of which World Bank is also a member had offered us US$14 billion to acquire food. We are grateful to them. The government has also embarked on a good security programme."

Sri Lanka's average paddy production which is usually 24 million metric tonnes reduced to 16 million metric tonnes in 2021, due to which it will have to import one third of its need for rice but the exchange rate crisis prevents this, Daily Mirror reported quoting the acting President.

He said high inflation has put food out of reach of people.

Claiming that war in Ukriane and sanctions imposed by EU are affecting Sri Lanka, he called for resolving the issues between the warring nations peacefully.