Sri Lankans struggling to buy food, says WFP report

 

Nearly a half of Sri Lanka’s households are adopting livelihood-based coping strategies to buy food, says a recent report published by the World Food Programme.

The WFP’s ‘Sri Lanka – Household Food Security Survey: Preliminary Findings, December 2023’ says that 43 percent of households were adopting livelihood-based coping strategies to cope with the lack of adequate food. Borrowing money to buy food and purchasing food on credit were the most commonly adopted strategies, by 27 and 26 percent of households, respectively, says the report, adding that households remain vulnerable to future shocks and stresses.

 

 “According to the survey, a high proportion of estate households (80 percent) adopted livelihood-based coping strategies, followed by 50 percent of urban households. In the rural sector, 41 percent of households are resorting to coping strategies. In terms of household characteristics, 43 percent of male-headed households and 42 percent of female-headed households are turning to livelihood-based coping strategies. While this is not a significant difference, a larger proportion of female-headed households are adopting more severe coping strategies compared to male-headed households such as selling assets and spending savings,” it said.The report has identified six livelihood-based coping strategies such as borrowing money, purchasing food on credit, spending savings or skipping debt payment, selling jewellery to buy food, reducing the spending on education and health and selling household assets. It has been observed that 27 percent of households relied on borrowing money while 26 percent opted for purchasing food on credit. Five percent of the household sample of the survey resorted to selling household assets and 16 percent chose to sell jewellery to buy food. It has been observed that 19 percent of the sample relied on the strategy of spending savings or skipping debt payment while 14 percent reduced spending on education and health.

According to the survey, households relying on social protection schemes, such as Samurdhi, as their main source of income have the highest levels of food insecurity (57 percent), followed by households dependent on humanitarian assistance (49 percent), and unskilled agricultural labour (37 percent). The lowest percentage of food insecure households are among those who have regular and stable income sources.

WFP

Sri Lankans struggling to buy food, says WFP report

The Island lk  2024/01/3

When comparing the survey results with March 2023, agricultural producers reported a significant deterioration in their food security status. For instance, a larger proportion of households relying on the production and sale of vegetables and fruits, and staple crops such as rice are food insecure during the current reporting period compared to March which was Maha harvest season.

The report said: “WFP and FAO jointly conducted a second CFSAM in March 2023, where a significant improvement in food security was noted, with 17 percent of the population estimated to be food insecure. This 11-percentage point decrease is attributed to better food consumption due to reduced prices and improved income during the harvesting period.

“Between August and October 2023, WFP conducted a panel survey of 8,741 households that were interviewed in March through a face-to-face data collection approach to produce representative estimates at national and regional levels. The survey employed a 2-stage stratified cluster sampling methodology in which a fixed number of primary sampling units (PSUs) were randomly selected at the first stage and within each PSU, 10 households were selected for interview.

“This preliminary report provides an update on the overall food security situation since March 2023, and it comes as part of WFP’s efforts to expand its evidence generation initiatives to inform the response among government and humanitarian/development partners in Sri Lanka.”

The Upcoming VAT Price Shock - EDITORIAL

dailymirror.lk 3 January 2024

In October 2023, the Sri Lankan Cabinet granted approval to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) to 18% with effect from the 1st of January 2024. The new enhanced tax would be applicable to certain other goods and services which at the time were exempted. 

The amendment was passed with a majority of 45 votes, with 100 MPs voting in favour and 55 voting against the bill. With the SJB - the leading political party in the Opposition - alone having 54 MPs in Parliament, it meant a number of members of Parliament sitting in the Opposition also have voted for the extension of the Value Added Tax to cover goods and services which were not covered by the tax earlier.

This column has for a considerable time been highlighting the burdens and difficulties ordinary citizens have been undergoing since the economic meltdown arising from the country declaring itself bankrupt in 2022. In this column we have also repeatedly called for immediate steps to be taken to lighten the burden on the poor and the deprived.

Unfortunately, rather than seeking to ameliorate the pain of the more deprived sections, the government has for reasons best known to itself seen it fit to add to these burdens rather than provide any form of safety net to this unfortunate section of our population.

Latest statistics published by the government’s own Department of Census and Statistics reveal that the monthly income of 60.5% of households has decreased. At the same time 91% of households report an increase in monthly expenditure! 

Today, the average income in the country ranges between Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 60,000 per month. Yet the cost of providing three basic meals per day for a family of four is over Rs. 120,000. In other words, if both parents worked and received the upper limit of Rs. 60,000 per month they would have only sufficient funds for meals. 

This does not include funds needed for children’s education, clothes, medical expenses, travel or recreation. 

The survey also shows 22% of all households are indebted due to the economic crisis. What it does not say is that these families have under the present circumstances little or no chance to get out of their situation of indebtedness.

And, it is in this situation that the government is about to impose a further 18% tax on the already over burdened populace.

On the surface the country seems calm but when the VAT shock hits in the post 1 January 2024 era, people can hardly be expected to remain calm and quiet in the face of impending starvation.

This is not the first time this country has faced this situation. Back in 1866 our ancestors faced a similar situation. Then, as now the country depended on imported rice to meet the shortfall in local rice production.

In 1866, grain riots broke out over the price of rice and the weak British colonial response to the crisis. 

In 1796, in the aftermath of Britain colonising the country, it imposed import duties and taxes as a means of raising revenue. 

In 1866, a great famine struck India, ruining its paddy crop and killing millions of Indian people. 

A fallout of that famine created a shortage of paddy in the market. This in turn led to the price of rice tripling, which left most poor Ceylonese families who depended on rice impoverished.

The British colonial government did nothing to alleviate the situation and people starved. 

The ‘Ceylon Times’ asked of the Governor “does he expect to see starvation at Galle Face or at Cinnamon Gardens where he takes his evening drive?”

Riots broke out on 21 October as people looted shops and shop owners armed themselves to protect their property. 

We will be facing a similar situation today, if the government authorities do not pay heed to the people who have reached starvation point. If this situation continues, it may not be long before citizens will be forced to take to the streets as in 1866.

God forbid that we see the day when some military commander orders his troops to fire on hungry masses of this country, as Napoleon did in France during the French Revolution!

இறைவரித் திணைக்களத்தின் பதிவு இலக்கம் இல்லாதவர்களுக்கு அபராதம்

வீரகேசரி 02 JAN, 2024

இம்மாதம் முதலாம் திகதி முதல் வரி செலுத்துவோருக்கான பதிவு இலக்கத்தை (TIN) பெறாத நபர்களுக்கு 50,000 வரை அபராதம் விதிக்கப்படும் என உள்நாட்டு இறைவரித் திணைக்களம் எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளது.

2024 ஜனவரி மாதம் முதல் 18 வயதுக்கு மேற்பட்ட அனைவரும் உள்நாட்டு இறைவரித் திணைக்களத்தின் பதிவு இலக்கமான TIN Number இனை பெற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும் என பொதுமக்களுக்கான அறிவிப்பு விடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

அனைவருக்கும் தேசிய அடையாள அட்டை இலக்மொன்று இருப்பதை போலவே TIN Number இருக்க வேண்டியதும் அவசியமாகும். வரி செலுத்தக்கூடிய அளவிலான வருமானம் இருக்குமாயின் அவர்கள் வரி செலுத்த வேண்டும். அதற்காக அவர்களுக்கான வரிக் கோப்பும்திறக்கப்படும் எனத் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மேலும், ஒரு வருடத்தில் (ஒரு வருடத்தின் ஏப்ரல் 1 முதல் அடுத்த ஆண்டு மார்ச் 31 வரை) 1,200,000 ரூபாய்க்கு மேல் வருமானம் பெறும் நபர்கள் வருமான வரிக் கோப்பை திறக்க வேண்டும்.

இதனை, பொது மக்கள் www.ird.gov.lk என்ற இணையத்தில் பதிவு செய்யலாம், தபால் மூலம் பதிவு செய்யலாம் அல்லது இலங்கை உள்நாட்டு இறைவரித் திணைக்களத்தில் நேரில் பதிவு செய்யலாம்.

Fuel, LPG prices soar with VAT

FT Tuesday, 2 January 2024

• CEYPETCO, Lanka IOC align their rates, whilst Sinopec opted for slightly lower increase for Petrol Octane 92
• Kerosene prices drop by Rs. 11 
• Litro Gas increases 12.5 kg canister by Rs. 685, LAUGFS increases it by Rs. 755

In a synchronised move, all three key players in the fuel industry and the two domestic LP gas players raised prices amid the new Value Added Tax (VAT) regime came into force impacting all economic sectors.

Yesterday’s adjustments saw the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO), Lanka IOC aligning their rates whilst Sinopec opted for a slightly lower increase, keeping its Petrol Octane 92 and Auto Diesel prices Rs. 3 less than the other two competitors. 

Accordingly, Petrol Octane 92 was increased by Rs. 20 to Rs. 366 per litre, while Petrol Octane 95 was increased by Rs. 38 to Rs. 464 per litre. Auto Diesel was increased by Rs. 29 to Rs. 358 and Super Diesel by Rs. 41 to Rs. 475. 

Sinopec, maintaining a marginally lower pricing strategy, announced that Petrol Octane 92 was increased by Rs. 17 to Rs. 363 per litre. Petrol Octane 95 was increased by Rs. 38 to Rs. 464 per litre, Auto Diesel was increased by Rs. 26 to Rs. 355 per litre and Super Diesel was increased by Rs. 41 to Rs. 475 per litre. 

Despite the general upward trend, the price of Kerosene experienced a reduction. It is now available at Rs. 236 per litre, reflecting a decrease of Rs. 11 by all three players.

The increases, though anticipated, pose challenges for consumers and industries grappling with rising cost-of-living and operational costs. The reduction in Kerosene prices may provide some relief to households and the fisheries industry relying on it.

Litro Gas Lanka Chairman Muditha Peiris announced that it also raised domestic gas prices yesterday, noting that an upward price revision was necessary to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of its operations.

Accordingly, the price of the 12.5 kg was increased by Rs. 685 to Rs. 4,250, while the 5 kg cylinder was increased by Rs. 276 to Rs. 1,707 and the price of the 2.3 kg canister was hiked by Rs. 127 to Rs. 795. 

In response to the VAT impact, LAUGFS Gas too said it has adjusted prices. As per the new price hikes; the 12.5kg gas cylinder was increased by Rs. 755 to Rs. 4740 and the 5kg canister was increased by Rs. 305 to Rs. 1,900.⍐

Photo Credit: The Cradle

 

How Yemen is blocking US hegemony in West Asia

The new US-led coalition in the Red Sea will struggle to overcome Yemen’s naval blockade on Israel, as Ansarallah’s domestically-produced and inexpensive drones and missiles have leveled the technological playing field.

A delegation in the Damascus on 2 March in order to ‘coordinate efforts’ among
the different Palestinian resistance factions-Thecradle

A statement issued by the Palestinian resistance factions

▪️The leadership of the Palestinian resistance factions held a consultative meeting in Beirut, in which they discussed the developments of the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle in light of the continuing Zionist aggression against our land, our people, and our sanctities, especially in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian West Bank, and Jerusalem, and concluded the following results:

First: The attendees praised, with great pride, the heroic steadfastness of our people in the occupied territories, and especially the legendary steadfastness of our people in the Gaza Strip, where the children, women and general population of our people face, with bare chests, the brutal acts of the Israeli enemy, which affected shelter centers for the displaced, homes and residential homes. Mosques, churches, schools, hospitals, and general infrastructure institutions and facilities, within the framework of implementing the project of genocide and scorched earth against our steadfast people, who steadfastly thwarted the project of mass displacement to the Arab neighborhood, to empty the resistant sector of its population, and annex it to the state of occupation and mass murder, in a plan that has become Very clear, aiming to end the Palestinian national issue and liquidate the legitimate national rights of our people, to self-determination, and to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and to guarantee the right of return for refugees from our people to their homes and property, in accordance with Resolution 194, in exchange for annexing the territories occupied in the 1967 war of aggression, and establishing The state of "Greater Israel", at the expense of our national project, the identity of our people, and their right to sovereignty over their land and the establishment of their independent entity in a fully sovereign national state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Second: The attendees stopped at the heroic actions of the valiant resistance in the occupied Palestinian territories in general, and in the Gaza Strip in particular, and praised its ability to thwart the enemy’s goals and demonstrate its inability and fragility of its forces in the field. They also praised the unity of struggle of all the military arms of the resistance factions, as it was demonstrated in the field. Creativity, smart tactics, and actions that exceeded expectations, coming in the continuation of the strategic “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle, which made October 7, 2023 a historic turning point, shaking the international situation, reaffirming that the Palestinian issue is still and will remain the pivotal issue on the regional level, even if it declines. The interest in it was not due to the decline in its position on the political map in the region, but rather an expression of the decline in the official leadership role, which based its calculations on betting on the American project, the “two-state solution,” and the “understanding” project with the Zionist occupation, the “Oslo Accords.”

In this context, the attendees affirm their determination to continue the resistance in the field, and in other forums, until the barbaric war against our people stops and the aggression against the Gaza Strip is defeated.

Third: The attendees affirmed that the direct and immediate combat tasks that must be achieved are the following:

1) Immediately stop the Israeli enemy’s war of annihilation, scorched earth and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.

2) Breaking the siege on the Gaza Strip, and beginning to supply our people with all the necessities of life, while at the same time enabling us to rebuild institutions and infrastructure. Providing the necessary supplies to reactivate and support the medical system, which was about to collapse under the weight of the barbaric acts of the Israeli aggression, and transferring serious cases of the wounded in the Gaza Strip to treatment abroad in brotherly and friendly countries.

3) Arab, Islamic and international commitment to reconstruction, and a request to brotherly and friendly countries, and international and regional organizations, most notably the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations, to launch an international initiative to rebuild what was destroyed by the occupation and the barbaric aggression in the Gaza Strip, and to work diligently to restore life. To the arteries of the Strip, to provide the necessary foundations to strengthen the steadfastness of our people and their adherence to their land, as a minimum reward for the legendary sacrifices they made that astonished the whole world.

Fourth: The attendees stressed their condemnation and rejection of Western and Israeli circles’ scenarios for the so-called “day after” of Gaza. The attendees also stressed that such scenarios, which are rejected in general and in detail, only constitute a failed bet to break the steadfastness of our people and our valiant resistance, and these are just pipe dreams that will not come true either now or in the future, especially after the signs of the enemy’s defeat appeared to be dawning on us, in his frank acknowledgment of the numbers of his dead and wounded over the years. The hand of our resistance, and his being forced to withdraw the largest and most important part of his forces, after they were disgraced in the field, at the hands of our resistance heroes in the field.

The attendees affirm that our national movement and our valiant resistance have the struggle, intellectual and political resources that qualify them to reject all projects and scenarios that are presented as a “solution” to the Gaza issue, as there is no issue specific to the Gaza Strip, an issue specific to the West Bank, or another issue specific to Jerusalem.

The Palestinian issue is an issue for all of Palestine, its land, people, rights, future and destiny, and the solution to the issue can only be achieved by the departure of the occupation and settlement in all its forms, which opens the door for our people to determine their national destiny on their land.

Fifth: The attendees agreed on the necessity of confronting the consequences of the barbaric war on our people, with a unified struggle and struggle strategy that re-presents our cause as an issue of national liberation for a people under occupation. In this context, they present the following proposals to all parties and components of the Palestinian national movement:

1- Calling for an inclusive and binding national meeting that includes all parties without exception, to implement what was agreed upon in previous Palestinian dialogues, and to confront the consequences of the barbaric war on our people in the Gaza Strip, and the barbaric attacks of settler gangs and occupation forces, and the settlement and annexation projects in the West Bank, with Jerusalem at its heart.

2- Rejecting all solutions and scenarios for the so-called “future of the Gaza Strip,” and presenting a Palestinian national solution, based on the formation of a national unity government, emerging from a comprehensive national consensus that includes all parties, concerned with unifying the national institutions in the occupied territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and bearing their responsibilities in Adopting projects aimed at rebuilding what was destroyed by the barbaric invasion of the Gaza Strip, restoring life to our people there, and preparing for elections.

3- Full emphasis on the necessity of a final ceasefire and all acts of aggression, and a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, as a condition for discussing the exchange of prisoners, and on the “all for all” basis, the whitening of prisons, and stopping arrests against our people in the occupied territories.

4- Developing and strengthening the Palestinian political system, on democratic foundations, through general elections (presidential, legislative and national councils), according to the full proportional representation system, in free, fair, transparent and democratic elections, in which everyone participates, in a way that rebuilds internal relations on the foundations and principles of the National Coalition, And true national partnership.

The assembled attendees pay tribute to the martyrs of our people in the occupied territories, especially to our people in the Gaza Strip. They wish a speedy recovery to the wounded, and they pay tribute to those who are steadfast despite the cruelty and brutality of the aggression in the Gaza Strip. They also pay tribute to the countries and resistance forces in our nation for their role in supporting and resisting our people.

They also extend a greeting of respect to our Arab peoples, and to the free people of the world, who came out in their countries and capitals, condemning Zionist terrorism, supporting the right of our people to defend themselves, their land and their dignity, and calling for more political, media and material support and support, in order to establish a global front against terrorism. The Israeli aggression and Atlantic barbarism, led by the United States, are the number one enemy of the peoples of the world who yearn for freedom, independence, prosperity, and decent living.

Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command

Beirut on 12/28/2023 (PFLP WEB)

⍐

Indian Government will further assist development of the North

 

Indian Government will further assist development of the North – New Indian HC

December 29, 2023 Daily News LK

The new Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, affirmed the Indian Government’s unwavering support for the advancement of the maritime and aviation sectors, as well as the development of the northern region of Sri Lanka. He made these observations during a meeting held on December 28, 2023, with the Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The discussions at the Ministry also focused on the progress of Palali airport, along with the ports in Kankesanthurai, Talaimannar, and Trincomalee. Minister de Silva emphasized the government’s willingness to provide opportunities for Indian investors to engage in the maritime and aviation services sectors in Sri Lanka. Specifically, he highlighted investment prospects in the vicinity of the Trincomalee Port for ship and small craft building industries.

High Commissioner Jha brought attention to a proposal regarding the initiation of a passenger ferry service linking all ports of Sri Lanka to India. He expressed his intention to engage in discussions with the Indian government to promptly implement the proposal.

He also said that Indian technology and investors would be made available for the commencement of several renewable energy projects in Sri Lanka. Highlighting the collaborative efforts between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe, High Commissioner Jha underscored their commitment to fostering a strong and sincere brotherhood between the two neighboring countries.

K.D.S. Ruwanchandra, Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation, and Irina Thakur, the First Secretary (Commerce and Culture) at the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka also attended the discussions.⍐

The Philadelphi Corridor

Netanyahu says Israel should control Gaza-Egypt border zone

Reuters December 30, 2023 JERUSALEM

The border zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt should be under Israel's control, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday as he predicted the war in the Palestinian enclave and on other regional fronts would last many more months.

Netanyahu held a news conference as Israel entered the 13th week of its war against Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamists, which has stoked violence in the occupied West Bank and touched off attacks by Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu

"The Philadelphi Corridor - or to put it more correctly, the southern stoppage point (of Gaza) - must be in our hands. It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek," he said.

Israel has said it intends to destroy Hamas in Gaza and demilitarise and deradicalise the territory in order to prevent any repeat of the Oct. 7 cross-border killing and kidnapping spree by the Palestinians militant group that sparked the war.

"The war is at its height. We are fighting on all of the fronts. Achieving victory will require time. As the (IDF) chief of staff has said, the war will continue for many more months," Netanyahu said.

He added a rare threat to attack Iran directly over the near-daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border. "If Hezbollah expands the warfare, it will suffer blows that it has not dreamed of - and so too Iran," Netanyahu said without elaborating.

Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by David Holmes Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Netanyahu says Gaza-Egypt border should be under Israeli control

AJ Dec 30-12-23

Speaking at a news conference, the Israeli leader says the Philadelphi Corridor – the border area between Gaza and Egypt – “must be in our hands”.

“It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek,” he said. The area is currently controlled by Egypt.

He added a rare threat to attack Iran directly over the near-daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border.

If Hezbollah expands its attacks in northern Israel “it will suffer blows that it has not dreamed of – and so too, Iran”, Netanyahu said, without elaborating.⍐

Visa actively working to accelerate card usage

 

Visa actively working to accelerate both card usage and acceptance across Sri Lanka

The Island 2023/12/27

– Avanthi Colombage, Country Manager for Visa in Sri Lanka and Maldives

With the bustling festive season underway, how are the consumer shopping and behaviour trends looking from Visa’s vantage point, both online and offline?

The festive season is a time of celebration, gift-giving, and spending for many consumers around the world and for Sri Lankans. This season is looking positive with many consumers out and about again, for possibly one of the brightest holiday seasons in the past few years. There is a visible increase in footfalls at shopping malls and retail stores, as people gear up for the festivities.

One of the key trends we are observing this season is the shift in consumer behavior – in terms of how they pay for retail purchases – move towards contactless. Given the convenience of contactless payments, Sri Lankans now simply tap their cards to pay while checking out at a retail store, without the hassles of carrying cash, making the shopping experience even more convenient and rewarding.

Another trend that we expect to see this season is the rise in ecommerce, as more consumers opt to shop online to avoid crowds and enjoy the convenience of home delivery. With internet users in the country increasing from 30% in 2018 to 51%, we expect a rise in ecommerce as on the back of higher awareness and adoption of online payments. To add to the season’s festivities, Visa is also running a “Bill Wipe Out” campaign at the Colombo City Centre (CCC) in partnership with Yes FM, which will choose 33 customers to have their bills fully reimbursed, if they make purchases using Visa debit cards at the CCC (T&Cs apply).

What is Visa doing to make every day cashless purchases a simple and smooth experience for shoppers? Do you think the tendency to tap and pay is here to stay?

Visa has been deeply committed to Sri Lanka’s payments ecosystem and its growth for over 35 years. With our network of banks, merchants and fintech partners, we help consumers pay digitally, simply and securely every day. As Sri Lankans start to use their cards more, we are also working with businesses and small merchants, more so outside the main urban cities, to ensure they can accept a variety of payments – be it cards, contactless payments, QR payments or online/ecommerce payments, to ensure all consumers have access to sellers who accept safe, secure and convenient forms of digital payments. In tandem, our advanced risk capabilities are ensuring an updated, safe and secure environment for cashless transactions in this dynamic commerce environment.

We believe tap to pay is a game changer and definitely here to stay. Once consumers experience its convenience, especially in stores with long queues or when they’ve fumbled for change in cash before, they understand that this is faster and safer than cash. We continue to engage with retail partners and banks on increasing awareness of the benefits of contactless payments to create a smooth consumer experience in-store.

In numerous countries where contactless payments are entrenched, we have seen tapping becomes a habit and where one cannot tap to pay seamlessly, the consumer experience is less than perfect. We believe that contactless payments are the future of digital payments, as they offer a seamless and satisfying consumer experience.

Tourist numbers are looking up; we are seeing more holiday makers coming to Sri Lanka as the year ends. What more can be done to make Sri Lanka a preferred/repeat destination for travelers, particularly in terms of digital payments?

Sri Lanka is a diverse and attractive destination for tourists from around the world, offering a range of natural and cultural attractions. The country has witnessed a remarkable recovery in tourism with an unprecedented surge in foreign tourist arrivals, a 153% increase last month, after a 159.8% jump in October, signaling a robust start to the peak tourism season and in response to the favorable conditions in the country. With visas now free of charge for countries like India, China, Russia and others, we expect a further boost to tourism.⍐

Economic crisis takes its toll on education, DCS survey reveals

 

Economic crisis takes 

its toll on education, 

DCS survey reveals

The Island 2023/12/29

Education of about 54.9 percent of Sri Lankan students has been affected by the economic crisis since March 2022, the latest Household Survey on Impact of Economic Crisis – 2023 by the Department of Census and Statistics reveals.

Out of the respondents surveyed 93.5 percent have adopted at least one strategy to counter the impact of the economic crisis on schooling.  The primary strategy adopted by the majority of individuals affected by the economic crisis (53.2 percent) was to reduce their expenditure on new stationery. 44.0 percent of individuals have cut down on buying new uniforms or stopped purchasing them altogether. Reducing the frequency of attending private tuition classes or shifting to online classes, too, is a commonly adopted strategy with 40.6 percent and 28.1 percent of respondents opting for those measures, respectively.

60.5 percent of households have experienced a drop in their total household average monthly income. Nearly half of the employed individuals have encountered changes in their main jobs due to the economic crisis. 47.3 percent experienced work breaks or temporary absence. 48 and 45.8 percent of respondents experienced reductions in working hours or cuts in pay or allowances and income loss, respectively.

14.2 percent of individuals engaged in economic activities faced job loss due to the impact of the economic crisis. Higher percentage of males (18.4 percent) who lost either their primary or secondary jobs due to the economic crisis compared to females (8.3 percent). 60.5 percent of income earners reported a decrease in at least one income source. 36.6 percent said there was no change in income during the crisis. Income has increased only for 3.4 percent of income earners.

60.5 percent of households experienced a decrease in their total income. Only 5.4 percent of families reported an increase in income. 48.7 percent said it was due to reduced working hours, 31.7 percent put this down to decrease in customer attendance. 22.9, 19, 16.5 and 15.1 percent of households experienced a decrease in come due to job loss, had to resign / temporarily suspended; increase in prices of seeds, animal feed, fuel, fertilisers; depreciation of seeds, animal feed, fuel, fertilisers etc., and because product could not be sold as per usual, respectively. 8.4 percent of families also reported problems in hiring workers, tools, and equipment. 73.6 households have ‘done nothing’ to adopt for the impact of the economic crisis on household income, the survey found.

Meanwhile, 91.1 percent of households indicated that their expenditure had increased. 99.1 percent of respondents said this was due to the increase in food expenses. Transport (83 percent), health expenses (73.2 percent) and educational expenses (51.8 percent) too had increased.

Approximately 97.2% of households employed at least one coping strategy to manage their household expenditure. 75.2 percent reported a change in diet, while 46.4 percent reported reduced savings or spending their savings. 21.3 percent of respondents have taken loans, sold or mortgaged properties.⍐

Wigneswaran willing to run for President in 2024

Jaffna District MP C.V. Wigneswaran has said he is willing to contest the next presidential election next year.

By Dinasena Ratugamage - 2023/12/28 - The Island LK

Retired Supreme Court Justice Wigneswaran, elected on the Tamil People’s National Alliance (Thamizh Makkal Tesiya Kootani) ticket, told the Jaffna-based media that he would contest the presidential poll if all Tamil political parties reached a consensus on his candidature.

Wigneswaran served as the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council after having been elected on the TNA ticket.

Asserting that fielding several Tamil candidates would be harmful to the community, Wigneswaran said that if all stakeholders could reach an agreement on a common candidate; he would be the most eligible person to run for President.

Responding to media queries, Wigneswaran said his entry into the contest would be beneficial to President Ranil Wickremesinghe who is expected to contest the next presidential poll.

Observers, however, said that it would result in adversely affecting President Wickremesinghe’s chances of reelection as most Tamils who usually vote for the UNP were now likely to vote for Wigneswaran.⍐

Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars in Gaza

The damage in Gaza has outpaced other recent conflicts, evidence shows. Israel has dropped some of the largest bombs commonly used today near hospitals.

Data from the United Nations shows damage and destruction around al-Rantisi Hospital in northern Gaza.
(MAXAR/The Washington Post) Double click on image to enlarge.

By Evan Hill, Imogen Piper, Meg Kelly and Jarrett Ley Dec. 23 The Washington Post

The Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip has been unlike any other in the 21st century.

In response to the unprecedented assault by Hamas on Oct. 7, Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion that began 20 days later have destroyed large swaths of the besieged territory, killed at least 20,057 people and displaced a vast majority of the population.

The most ferocious attacks have come from the air, flattening entire city blocks and cratering the landscape.

The Washington Post analyzed satellite imagery, airstrike data and U.N. damage assessments, and interviewed more than 20 aid workers, health-care providers, and experts in munitions and aerial warfare. The evidence shows that Israel has carried out its war in Gaza at a pace and level of devastation that likely exceeds any recent conflict, destroying more buildings, in far less time, than were destroyed during the Syrian regime’s battle for Aleppo from 2013 to 2016 and the U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, in 2017.

The Post also found that the Israeli military has conducted repeated and widespread airstrikes in proximity to hospitals, which are supposed to receive special protection under the laws of war. Satellite imagery reviewed by Post reporters revealed dozens of apparent craters near 17 of the 28 hospitals in northern Gaza, where the bombing and fighting were most intense during the first two months of war, including 10 craters that suggested the use of bombs weighing 2,000 pounds, the largest in regular use.

“There’s no safe space. Period,” said Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who visited Gaza on Dec. 4. “I haven’t passed one street where I didn’t see destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.”

How we calculated this damage comparison

To assess the devastation in Gaza, The Post used data from the U.N. Satellite Center, or UNOSAT, which analyzes satellite imagery from conflict zones to determine how many structures, most of them buildings, have been damaged and destroyed.

To compare with Gaza, The Post examined UNOSAT damage data from the Russian and Syrian government campaign against rebels in Aleppo from 2013 to 2016, and from the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, which heavily bombed and shelled the cities of Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, in 2017. UNOSAT has not collected the same kind of data on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Despite the availability of other damage assessment methodologies, The Post relied on UNOSAT data because it maintained a consistent methodology over years across multiple conflict zones.

The war has wounded more than 53,320 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. More than 7,700 Palestinian children have been killed, and women and children make up around 70 percent of the dead, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which also says that 1.9 million people have been displaced, equivalent to 85 percent of the population. The vast majority of Gazan civilians fleeing the invasion are not allowed by Israel and Egypt to leave.

“The scale of Palestinian civilian deaths in such a short period of time appears to be the highest such civilian casualty rate in the 21st century,” said Michael Lynk, who served as the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories from 2016 to 2022.

In a reply to questions from The Post, the Israel Defense Forces sent a statement saying: “In response to Hamas’ barbaric attacks, the IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities. In stark contrast to Hamas’ intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”

This is the Gaza Strip. Each dot represents a damaged or destroyed structure, the vast majority of which are buildings. From the start of the war on Oct. 7 to Nov. 26, the date of the most recent data available, 37,379 structures were damaged.

Soon after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Israeli military leaders signaled their intent to retaliate with widespread devastation.

On Oct. 10, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops he had “released all the restraints” and that “Gaza will never return to what it was.” The same day, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said that “while balancing accuracy with the scope of damage, right now we’re focused on what causes maximum damage.”

• This is Aleppo, more than one and a half times the area  of northern Gaza. Russia and the government of Bashar al-Assad waged a brutal, multiyear battle to defeat and eventually besiege rebel groups there.

• From 2013 to 2016, the period covered by U.N. data, 40 percent of Aleppo’s structures were damaged. In northern Gaza, that figure reached 32 percent by Nov. 26 — From 2013 to 2016, the period covered by U.N. data, 40 percent of Aleppo’s structures were damaged. In northern Gaza, that figure reached 32 percent by Nov. 26 — seven weeks into conflict.

• Nearly twice as many structures were destroyed in northern Gaza in seven weeks as the 4,773 destroyed in Aleppo over three years.

• This is Mosul, roughly Aleppo’s size and also more than one and a half times the area of northern Gaza. Iraqi troops, allied militias and U.S. air forces launched an offensive to retake the city from the Islamic State in late 2016.

• Around one and a half times as many structures were damaged in northern Gaza in seven weeks as were damaged across Mosul during the nine-month battle.

• Nearly twice as many structures were destroyed in northern Gaza as were destroyed in Mosul over those same periods. 

• More than three times as many structures were destroyed in northern Gaza as were destroyed in Raqqa over those same periods.

In a little over two months, Israeli air forces fired more than 29,000 air-to-ground munitions, 40 to 45 percent of which were unguided, according to a recent assessment from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The bombing rate has been about two and a half times as high as the peak of the U.S.-led coalition’s effort to defeat the Islamic State, which at its height fired 5,075 air-to-ground munitions across both Iraq and Syria in one month, according to data from the research and advocacy group Airwars.

“There’s no safe space. Period.”

— Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross

One hallmark of the 21st century’s most indiscriminate air campaigns, as in Syria and Ukraine, has been the bombing of hospitals, which cannot be attacked under the laws of war unless they are actively being used to “commit acts harmful to the enemy.”

The Israeli military made no secret of its view that Gaza’s hospitals were military targets.

“Hamas systematically exploits hospitals as a key part of its war machine,” Hagari, the military spokesman, said on Nov. 5. “We will not accept Hamas’s cynical use of hospitals to hide their terror infrastructure.”

By Dec. 14, Israeli bombardment and fighting had forced the closure of more than two thirds of the 28 hospitals identified by The Post in northern Gaza.

As Israel’s military campaign went on, satellite imagery reviewed by The Post showed how heavy strikes around Gaza’s hospitals destroyed entire neighborhoods, wrecked infrastructure and displaced civilians, often making it impossible for hospitals to function.

To assess destruction around hospitals, The Post analyzed U.N. Satellite Center data in areas within 180 meters — the distance at which the smallest commonly used bombs, weighing 250 pounds, can cause enough damage to make a building uninhabitable, and the largest, weighing 2,000 pounds, can damage a structure beyond repair, according to a report by Armament Research Services commissioned by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The data showed that Israel’s bombardment and other fighting had damaged structures within 180 meters of all of northern Gaza’s 28 hospitals.

Across northern Gaza, visual evidence and other accounts showed how Israeli forces shot at, bombed, besieged and raided hospitals.

Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Gaza’s only cancer treatment center, shut down on Nov. 1 after nearby airstrikes. At least four cancer patients died afterward, according to the health ministry. Al-Rantisi Hospital, the only hospital with a pediatric cancer ward, evacuated on Nov. 10 along with three nearby hospitals after being struck on Nov. 5 and surrounded by Israeli troops days later. Four premature babies left behind on breathing machines at one of the hospitals would later be found dead.

Video shot by a journalist in the parking lot of al-Awda Hospital showed nearby strikes filling the air with dust and smoke and raining debris down on ambulances.

 Video not available - enb

Debris falls and fire explodes after an airstrike hits near Al-Awda Hospital in North Gaza, video posted to Telegram on Nov. 9 shows. (Feras al-Ajrami/Instagram)

Indonesian Hospital evacuated on Nov. 22, three days after artillery fire struck the hospital and killed 12 people. Israeli raids on Kamal Adwan Hospital over several days in mid-December resulted in the hospital’s “effective destruction” and the death of at least eight patients, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted on Dec. 17.

In Gaza City, Israeli strikes destroyed much of the neighborhood surrounding al-Quds Hospital, operated by the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Israeli forces pushing toward the center of the city fought with Hamas in the vicinity, and videos posted by the PRCS showed the impact of heavy nearby strikes. On Nov. 12, the hospital ceased operating.

“What we have been witnessing is a campaign that was planned, it was a plan, definitely, to close down all the hospitals in the north,” said Léo Cans, head of mission for Palestine with Doctors Without Borders.

There have been 239 attacks on health-care workers, vehicles and facilities in Gaza that have killed 570 people since the war started, the WHO said on Dec. 13.

The IDF has published videos and images that show weapons and other military items, which it said were found in multiple hospitals. Underneath al-Shifa Hospital, Israeli troops excavated a tunnel with multiple empty rooms, alleging that they had been used by Hamas. The military said Hamas fighters there and elsewhere had fled before Israeli troops arrived and taken materiel with them. None of the evidence was possible to verify independently, because Israel does not allow journalists to enter Gaza except on strictly guided tours.

“What we have been witnessing is a campaign that was planned.”

— Léo Cans, head of mission for Palestine with Doctors Without Borders

“Only the current misuse of the hospital deprives it of its protection, but if that misuse ends, that protection is restored,” said Adil Haque, an international law expert and Rutgers University professor. If there were a tunnel or underground structure beneath the hospital, and troops weren’t sure what was inside them, any doubts should “caution in favor of restraint,” he added.

The satellite imagery reviewed by The Post revealed other evidence of how hospitals had come under attack: large craters close to hospitals, many of them bearing the telltale characteristics of large, airdropped bombs.

The Post reviewed nearly 100 satellite images taken between Oct. 8 and Dec. 10 and found about three dozen apparent craters within 180 meters of 17 of the 28 hospitals in northern Gaza. At The Post’s request, five satellite imagery analysts reviewed images of each crater large enough to suggest the use of a bomb weighing 2,000 pounds or more. While The Post’s findings represent a conservative undercount of the actual number of bombs dropped near Gaza’s hospitals, the imagery shows that hardly a hospital in the north has been left untouched.

• The large craters were seen near eight hospitals, more than a quarter of all the hospitals in northern Gaza. Bombs in larger weight classes have larger blast radiuses and are more likely to inflict serious damage that could put even well-built structures like hospitals permanently out of service.

• Ten large craters identified by The Post near hospitals suggested the use of bombs weighing 2,000 pounds, the largest in regular use.

• At these two hospitals, for example, The Post identified large craters suggesting the use of 2,000-pound bombs within 90 meters, the distance at which a bomb of that size could completely destroy buildings within the blast radius.

• At al-Awda Hospital, northern Gaza’s main maternity center, a crater in the road about 90 meters from the hospital grounds suggested the use of a 2,000-pound bomb in November. 

• On Nov. 21, a strike on the hospital itself killed three doctors, Doctors Without Borders said.

• At al-Karama Hospital, north of Gaza City, two craters that appeared in Oct. 15 satellite imagery suggested the use of 2,000-pound bombs.

• The hospital was within the 90-meter blast radiuses of both munitions.

• It was forced to close on Oct. 17.

Officials at humanitarian and health-care organizations with lengthy experience in major conflict zones said Israel’s war in Gaza was the most devastating they had seen.

Tom Potokar, a chief surgeon with the International Committee of the Red Cross working in Gaza for the 14th time, said explosive injuries were responsible for all the wounds he and his colleagues at European Hospital in southern Gaza had been treating. Many patients had necrotic wounds requiring amputation due to the lack of supplies and equipment at battered and besieged hospitals in the north.

“For me, personally, this is without a doubt the worst I’ve seen,” said Potokar, who has worked during conflicts in South Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Ukraine.

Zaher Sahloul, the president of MedGlobal and a doctor who worked in Aleppo during the battle for the city, said he believed that “what’s happening right now in Gaza is beyond any disaster that I’ve witnessed at least in the last 15 years or so.”

Sahloul estimated it will take decades to rebuild the health-care infrastructure destroyed in Gaza and the knowledge and expertise of the scores of doctors and other health-care workers who have been killed.

Preliminary data provided to The Post by Airwars suggested that strikes in Gaza were killing civilians at twice the rate of the U.S.-led campaign in Raqqa. Emily Tripp, the director of Airwars, said that the data they provided The Post represented “just a fraction” of the strikes they were currently researching in Gaza, which averaged about 200 strikes per week. In Airwars’s 10 years of work, Tripp said, the group had never documented more than about 250 civilian casualty strikes per month in any conflict.

“Make no mistake — U.S. operations in Iraq and Syria, especially in densely populated cities like Mosul and Raqqa, caused devastating civilian harm and destruction,” said Annie Shiel, the U.S. advocacy director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict. “But what we are seeing in Gaza, the level of death and destruction in this relatively short period of time, is absolutely staggering in comparison. Nowhere is safe for civilians.”

“For me, personally, this is without a doubt the worst I’ve seen.”

— Tom Potokar, a chief surgeon with the International Committee of the Red Cross

Pnina Sharvit Baruch, a former high-ranking military lawyer who was responsible for advising Israeli commanders, said that Israel is currently facing “the biggest threat to its existence” from enemies determined to destroy it. Hamas made Gaza a “fortified military area” and operates from within civilian structures, she said, adding that “Hamas’s strategy of using civilians as shields means that attacking its military capabilities leads to unfortunate yet inevitable civilian casualties.” When Israeli commanders weigh civilian harm against military advantage when deciding whether to strike, she said, the “level of threat posed by Hamas [to Israel] is a legitimate component of evaluating the military advantage.”

Several humanitarian workers interviewed by The Post noted that Israel’s campaign in Gaza, and its destruction of hospitals and homes, will likely create additional suffering, such as hunger, lack of shelter and the spread of communicable diseases, that could eventually kill more people than the bombs and fighting.

Sahloul said he believed the only explanation for so many attacks on civilian sites, which should have been protected by the laws of war, was that such attacks were intentional.

“People in Syria told me they can tolerate bombs and missiles, but if there’s no doctors in town and no hospitals, they usually leave,” he said. “So I would have to assume that if it is intentional, the goal is to force the population to leave. And when they leave, they don’t come back.”

Methodology

The quality of satellite imagery, irregular coverage and even the angle of a satellite’s camera can all affect the ability to identify clear craters. In some cases, craters could be located but not conclusively attributed to a specific munition or payload size. In other cases, damage from the air campaign was clear, but craters were not visible.

The Post relied on a conservative assessment of what is and is not a crater and asked multiple experts to review any crater found in within 180 meters of a hospital in northern Gaza that had diameter of at least 40 feet, or 12.1 meters. Any crater with a diameter greater than 11.7 meters found in light soil like Gaza’s, experts said, suggests a bomb weighing 2,000 pounds or more could have been used. To account for inconsistencies in measurements, The Post relied on the slightly larger, 40-foot diameter.

The Post focused its analysis on this size because a 2,000-pound bomb dropped 180 meters away could damage a building beyond repair. At 90 meters, that same munition could destroy a building. Only craters that experts agreed on with high confidence were included in this report.

Experts cautioned The Post against ascribing particular damage to particular craters, as the amount of damage caused by a bomb can vary widely, especially in a dense urban environment. Damage depends on nearby structures, building materials, the soil, whether a bomb has been set to explode above or below ground, and other factors. Experts also noted that even the largest munitions can be employed to ensure that nearby civilian infrastructure is not damaged or is minimally affected when they explode. But even then, large munitions have inherent characteristics that can only be mitigated to a certain degree, making collateral-damage assessments done before the munition is used key to avoiding civilian harm, they said.

About this story

Louisa Loveluck in London, Claire Parker in Cairo, Jonathan Baran in San Francisco, and Cate Brown and John Hudson in Washington contributed to this report.

Design and development by Junne Alcantara and Irfan Uraizee.

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