No mother wants to see their child malnourished. But Asela had to. Amid climate change in Welikanda, Sri Lanka, hunger is stalking Asela’s three-year-old son Heshan. Her husband, Sampath, a daily wage labourer, is working long hours to put food on the table. Things got worse when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and work opportunities fell drastically.
The family has a small home garden where they can scrounge up a meal or two, except the prolonged drought caused by climate change limits their harvests and puts Sampath out of work for long periods. The lack of access to clean water has pushed them to consume unclean water from a lake that is 2km away from their home.
Climate change has not only affected the family’s livelihood and food security but their safety too. The drought has driven wildlife like elephants into their village, destroying homes and killing people, while snakes have entered homes during the rainy seasons and floods. Heshan is being deprived of nutritious food, clean water and a safe environment to grow up healthily.
Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges of our times. People already burdened by poverty often suffer the harshest consequences, while having the least ability to cope. Their struggle to earn a living, feed their families and build stable homes is made more difficult every day the climate crisis continues.
Devastating climate change is forcing people from their homes, bringing poverty and increasing hunger
It’s on all of us to do our part to stop the harm to our environment, especially young people who are likely to face the most significant effects of a changing climate. This next-generation batch inhabiting the Earth will inherit the responsibility to protect the planet.
At this year’s 30-Hour Famine, you’ll fast for 30 hours, learn about global issues and raise funds to transform hunger into hope.
¹United Nations – International Youth Day, 2019
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