Lankan children 'going to bed hungry': UN

COLOMBO, Aug 26 (AFP): Children in Sri Lanka are "going to bed hungry" because of the island nation's economic crisis, the UN said Friday, warning other South Asian countries could be approaching similar shortages.

Sri Lanka is grappling with its worst downturn on record after running out of foreign currency to buy imports, leaving scarce supplies of food, fuel and other essentials.

The crisis was being acutely felt by families who were "skipping regular meals" because kitchen staples were becoming unaffordable, said George Laryea-Adjei, the South Asia director for the UN children's agency (UNICEF).

"Children are going to bed hungry, unsure of where their next meal will come from," he told reporters.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and is currently in bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.