The global food crisis was bound to rear its ugly head sooner or later in Sri Lanka.

The first indication of this was the unwelcome news that the World Food Programme (WFP) and other United Nations agencies were cutting their food aid to displaced people in Sri Lanka as a result of the rising food prices. We felt it at Muslim Aid because we ran a school feeding programme with WFP in the south which has stalled because WFP has ended its operations there.

The other incident which comes to my mind is the recent Vesak holiday in Sri Lanka, which celebrates the Buddha's birthday, enlightenment and death. Billed as the last long weekend for a while in Sri Lanka (notorious for its numerous public holidays), it was supposed to be a time of great celebration (which is always welcome), with lots of lanterns and Dhansala.

Dhansala involves serving free food to the public - literally in every nook and cranny a stall is set up and people give away food to passers-by. Stop at a traffic light and you are likely to be approached by someone bringing you something to eat. People's generosity knows no bounds.

This year's Vesak was a little subdued. Although many would argue that the ongoing security situation contributed (not helped by a bomb that went off on the Friday before the holiday), it was clear that something else was wrong. This was evident from the kind of Dhansala that was being served. Traditionally people prepare rice and some accompaniments. But this year people served two-minute Maggi noodles, soup, fruit - anything but rice.

"You see rice is expensive and the cost of cooking gas has gone up," a Dhansala stall holder ruefully remarked to me, reflecting the pinch that many ordinary people are feeling.

The global food price crisis has been described as a "silent tsunami" by WFP, and many people in Sri Lanka will not realise their plight until the wave hits them. The poor and most vulnerable will be the first to suffer, but no one is immune from the rising prices.

And it is a wonder that a country like Sri Lanka, which is blessed with many natural resources, has to import food.

Yet the worrying part is how little concern there is about this issue which, more than any other, should be gripping people. The mere fact that some are going to bed hungry while others have plenty to eat is by all spiritual teachings a crime.

There are still weddings taking place in grand hotels and exclusive dinners held where food is thrown away without any concern for its value. There are still people who insist on eating rice three times a day, simply because they want to.

Sri Lanka has responded to the crisis by importing rice from Myanmar. The decision was controversial because the first shipment left for Sri Lanka just days after Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar's paddy supply. This government, like previous ones, is also attempting to control the price rise and stop hoarding. However political and economic measures alone are not enough.

At times like this there is a need for dialogue and discussion on how people in Sri Lanka can respond collectively to this globally emerging crisis. People must plan how to address vulnerability in the short, medium and long terms.

Elsewhere, countries have set up food banks and are talking about improving agriculture and trade. Many people are considering a change in diet and lifestyle.

But Sri Lankans have been slow in realising the importance of the issue and responding to it. We may still be a long way off from the food-related riots that have gripped other parts of the world, but we're soon likely to see the need for food aid distribution spread more widely among our people.

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