Photos: Crisis pushes more Sri Lankans into poverty

Sri Lanka is in the throes of its starkest economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.

Dilhani Wathsala, 14, eating her lunch cooked by her mother, Nilanthi Gunasekera, 49, in her home at Wanathamulla, Colombo. 

Millions of Sri Lankans are battling a calamitous decline in living standards, as they find themselves forced to skip meals, ration medicines and turn to firewood in place of cooking gas.

Hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising oil prices and economic mismanagement under previous governments, the island nation is in the throes of its starkest crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.

Rampant inflation, snaking fuel queues and shortages of essentials such as food and medicine have driven many Sri Lankans into poverty, while months of street protests deposed the previous president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in July.

More than a quarter of the population of 22 million is now struggling to secure adequate, nutritious food, the United Nations says.

As desperation grows, the government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe is seeking a multibillion-dollar bailout in talks with the International Monetary Fund and is tapping key allies, from India and Japan to the United States.

But major financial assistance is still months away, making tough austerity measures likely, so few Sri Lankans will see conditions improve soon.

As depleted reserves have dried up supplies of petrol, diesel and gas, lengthy fuel queues, sometimes persisting for days, have become a daily feature this year.

The shortages have brought a boom in demand for firewood.

Krishan Darshana told the Reuters news agency that he had joined his father in breaking up logs to sell as kindling after getting laid off from a job in construction during the crisis.

“It’s very hard work,” said the 25-year-old, who now makes do with a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits as the day’s only meal. “But what else can I do when there are no jobs for us?”

Nilanthi Gunasekera holds a handful of dried fish, the only protein her family will have until next week. 

Manel Peiris, 68, in her kitchen, in Colombo. 

'I am a heart patient and have to take medicine every day,' Peiris said. 'Hospitals used to issue medicine for three months. But with the onset of the economic crisis, hospitals don't have medicine and so we are asked to buy from pharmacies. But one month's cost is around Rs 3,400 [$9.3] which I can't afford, so I buy only for one week at a time. Sometimes my husband has to borrow or get an advance from his workplace.' 

Gamage Rupawathi, 60, right, her husband WA Susantha, 45, centre, and their son, Krishan Darshana, 25, left, at their home in Colombo. 'When I had a fruit business I was earning a significant income,' Rupawathi said. 'But with the drawn-out lockdowns during the pandemic and now this economic crisis I don't have money to restart my fruit stall.' 

WA Susantha holds a cup of plain tea and two pieces of biscuit, the only food he has for the day. 

'We used to have all three meals, but now we skip breakfast. We are now waiting until my brother brings home some rice,' said S Gayathri, 29, standing with her mother M Saraswathi, 59, in front of their house in Colombo. 'After this we won't have any vegetables left.' 

Ramani Priyani Nisshanka, 62, in a dark room in her home after she switched off the lights to save on the electricity bill. 

Ramani Priyani Nisshanka holds an electricity bill. 'My husband fell ill around a year ago,' she said. 'Now it's very difficult not only to spend on food but even to pay bills.' 

Vidyathipathige Nihal, 62, at his home in Colombo. 'Just a couple of months back some robbers broke into our house and stole the small gas cylinder and the cooker we had ... So now we are forced to cook with firewood,' he said. 

Chandra Thushari Peiris, 42, at her food kiosk in Colombo. 'We had a good business at our kiosk,' she said. 'Since we used to eat the leftovers from our kiosk we didn't have any problem with food ... But during the pandemic, and more so the present economic crisis, we didn't get any customers.' 

Oshada Fernando, 11, holds a kite that his uncle made for him. 'With the economic crisis we haven't bought any toys for our son,' said his mother, 42-year-old Anusha Priyadarshini.