This brief serves as an overview of the current economic, political, and social state of affairs in Sri Lanka in relation to social protection. Prepared by the WFDD team with inputs from Sarvodaya, as part of the TRT supported Strategic Religious Engagement Project, it focuses on current and past anti-poverty programs, and the context of major events that have affected the country in the last several years (chiefly the COVID-19 pandemic and 2022 economic crisis). It is based on the findings of the “Study on Re-imagining Sri Lanka’s Social Protection Mechanisms” produced by Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, as well as news articles, opinion pieces, journals, and reports from the Sri Lankan government, IMF, World Bank, UNICEF, and other stakeholders. Its purpose is to serve as a basis for discussion about how different actors interested in the role of religious organizations can best contribute to significant ongoing efforts that are currently being undertaken to reform Sri Lanka’s social protection programs.
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