The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has begun a food aid program on Thursday for pregnant women in Sri Lanka as part of UN's emergency response to Sri Lanka's economic crisis.

As part of the programme, food vouchers have been distributed to about 2,000 pregnant women in Colombo as part of "life-saving assistance".

The WFP distributed cash vouches valuing 15,000 rupees in efforts to help three million Sri Lankans hard hit by the soaring commodity prices.

WFP is working on raising USD 60 million for food relief effort between June and December.

The WFP will is also working on providing at least one meal at school to a million students, as well as providing nutritionally fortified food to another million children and mothers.

Food rations by way of food, cash, or vouchers will also be given to another million people as per WFP.