Humanitarian agencies in Sri Lanka are preparing for the fallout as increasing food prices and shortages put vulnerable populations at risk of malnutrition and leave many families no longer able to afford essentials such as medicalcare and school tuition. The global food crisis, referred to by World Food Programme (WFP) officials as "the silent tsunami" during a summit in London on April 22, is hitting home. Rice stocks have dwindled since the government imposed price controls on April 17. In addition, the World Food Programme has temporarily suspended its work for food project in the war-torn northeast due to lack of resources. WFP country director, Mohamed Salaheen told IRIN the programme had been benefiting 175,000 people. "We held discussions with the government and agreed on what our priorities are," he said. "Given the resources we have, we cannot take care of everything." The suspension will remain in force until new donor commitments allow the WFP to recommence it. The WFP in Sri Lanka is facing increasing budgetary restrictions given that food prices have shot up by more than 50 percent in the past year and the agency is facing a 40 percent funding shortfall. "We need an additional US$35 million to meet the funding requirements that were set on older prices, but now they have sky-rocketed," the WFP country director said. The food price increases have been exacerbated by a 12.5 percent shortfall in domestic rice supply, the staple food of the islanders, according to government statistics. Agencies working with vulnerable populations have already begun to factor in the rising prices into their estimates. "We are in discussions with WFP on whether to increase the monthly amount provided to poor families," Meneka Calyanaratne, chief of communications for Save the Children UK in Sri Lanka, told IRIN. Such assistance, while important, is marginal in terms of numbers, compared with the WFP programme that has been feeding more than a million people. "It will all depend on what the assessments of WFP and other UN agencies are, but there is a very real likelihood that the individual grants will go up." Save the Children provides Rs. 1,600 (approx $16) per month for 2,672 poor families countrywide. Calyanaratne also said rising food prices may force older children in poorer families to leave school for lack of funds. "When families find it hard to make ends meet," she said, "they tend to look for easy avenues for more income; sending children to work is one of the easiest." Sri Lankans on average spend 37.6 percent of their monthly expenditure on food, according to the latest Census and Statistics Department data, with vulnerable families spending as much as 70 percent. (IRIN)