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https://theconversation.com/sri-lanka-scrambles-for-aid-but-australia-still-seems-preoccupied-by-boats-186293>
"When Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe conceded ten days ago that
the Sri Lankan economy has “completely collapsed”, his words would have come as
no surprise to the island’s 22 million people.
With the country enduring its worst economic crisis since independence,
authorities continue to scramble for aid from the international community.
Families have been forced to skip meals and limit portion sizes. “If we don’t
act now,” the United Nations has warned, “many families will be unable to meet
their basic food needs.”
In a move to curb dire food shortages, authorities have approved a four-day
working week for public sector workers so they can “engage in agricultural
activities in their backyards or elsewhere as a solution to the food shortage
that is expected”.
Tamil fishers in the north of the island are facing starvation because they
lack paraffin to power their boats. Women whose livelihoods depend on
occasional work on the boats face even grimmer circumstances. One of them, a
59-year-old Tamil woman who lost five of her children in the civil war, is
living off donations, leftover fish and the vegetables she picks from the side
of the road.
From July 10, the government will no longer sell fuel to ordinary people
because it won’t have enough currency to pay for it. Frustration is palpable
across the island. The deployment of the military is only adding to the
distress. In one case, Sri Lankan troops opened fire on people queuing for
petrol after motorists clashed with troops; four civilians and three soldiers
were wounded."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
