Why did I start writing this? It began on an ordinary evening, when I got into a tuk-tuk after work. As we were driving, the tuk driver received a call. On the other end, his wife was crying. She told him that their house owner had locked the door, thrown her and their child out, and taken the key. The reason? He had not paid the rent of Rs. 10,000 for a month.
When my mum asked him why, the driver explained that he had been sick and could not drive for weeks. Without income, he had no way to pay rent. He also admitted something heartbreaking: his family had been eating only one meal a day. Hearing this, I could not stop comparing. We sometimes spend Rs. 2,000 just for one lunch. He then broke down in tears and said, “Isn’t it better to die than to live like this?”
That sentence stayed with me. And it made me think: while we all share posts about the suffering in Palestine, how often do we notice the silent suffering right here in Sri Lanka?
That day in the tuk-tuk, when the driver cried and said it might be better to die than live like this, I understood something important. While we care about the suffering of children in Gaza, we must also remember that children here in Sri Lanka are suffering too.
The truth is that thousands of families in Sri Lanka are struggling for the basics: food, water, housing, and clothing. After the economic crisis, prices went up so fast that many people were left behind. One in three households does not have enough food. Parents skip meals so children can eat. Some children go to school hungry; others stop schooling because parents cannot afford books or uniforms.
Child malnutrition is a huge problem. Sri Lanka has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in South Asia. Around 15% of children under five are wasted, meaning they are too thin for their height. More than 40% of children live in multidimensional poverty, which means they don’t just lack food, but also proper housing, healthcare, and education. These are not just numbers. They are real children who are weaker, sadder, and less hopeful than they should be.
Housing is another struggle. In the tea estates of the Central Highlands, workers’ families still live in tiny line rooms, with no privacy and very poor sanitation. In cities like Colombo and Kandy, many families live in slums, crowded and unsafe, where water and toilets are shared by many households.
In the North and East, many war-affected families are still waiting for proper housing. Some continue to live in temporary shelters years after the war ended. In rural dry-zone areas, water shortages make life even harder. Families often walk long distances just to fetch water for cooking and drinking.
In Gaza, children are dying because of war, bombs, airstrikes, and famine. The suffering is loud, sudden, and shocking. It fills international news and social media. That is why many Sri Lankans feel the urge to post, share, and speak out.
In Sri Lanka, children are not dying from bombs. But some are slowly dying from hunger, poor healthcare, and poverty. Families are living on one meal a day, sleeping in unsafe shelters, and raising children without enough clothes or school supplies. This suffering is quieter. It doesn’t make global headlines. But it is still real, and it is happening every day.
This is not about choosing one over the other. We can care about both. We can stand with Palestine, and at the same time stand with the poor tuk driver, the estate worker, the child in a slum, and the farmer in the dry zone.
True compassion means looking far and looking near. It means not only sharing posts online, but also helping people in our own communities. Whether it is donating food, supporting child nutrition programs, helping with school supplies, or simply being aware, every small action matters.
In the North and East, many war-affected families are still waiting for proper housing. Some continue to live in temporary shelters years after the war ended. In rural dry-zone areas, water shortages make life even harder. Families often walk long distances just to fetch water for cooking and drinking.
That day in the tuk-tuk, when the driver cried and said it might be better to die than live like this, I understood something important. While we care about the suffering of children in Gaza, we must also remember that children here in Sri Lanka are suffering too.
The truth is: while bombs fall in Palestine, poverty quietly kills in Sri Lanka. Let us not ignore one pain because the other is louder. Let us stand for both. Because no child, whether in Gaza or in Nuwara Eliya, should go hungry, homeless, or hopeless.
