FCDO issues travel alert as Sri Lanka declares public emergency
Will PayneThe Sri Lankan government has declared a public emergency following a number of recent protests over the country’s "deteriorating" economic situation.
According to the UK Foreign Office, Sri Lanka has recently seen shortages of basic necessities such as medicines, fuel and food due to a lack of hard currency to pay for imports.
The FCDO said there may be long queues at grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies and local authorities may impose the rationing of electricity, resulting in power outages.
The squeeze on goods also led to a number of protests over the weekend, with one in Columbo on 31 March resulting in a curfew being temporarily imposed.
"There are reports that there will be further protests across the island in the next few days," the FCDO said.
"On 1 April the government of Sri Lanka declared a public emergency, and an island-wide curfew is now in place from 6pm on 2 April 2022 until 6am on 4 April 2022.
"Local restrictions, including further curfews could be imposed at short notice. You should be vigilant, avoid any demonstrations or large gatherings, and follow the advice of the local authorities."
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