In Photos: Lives of Sri Lankans Crippled as Nation Faces Worst Economic Crisis

Colombo: Sri Lankans wait in a queue to buy kerosene oil in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, March 25, 2022. Earlier this month, Sri Lanka's president requested people's support by limiting electricity and fuel consumption to cope with the worst economic crisis the country has seen.

(Photo: AP/PTI)

A severe shortage of food, cooking gas and other essential items, sky-rocketing fuel prices, and a record-high inflation. Sri Lanka is battling its worst economic crisis yet, as it faces a critical shortfall of foreign currency, leading to a massive reduction in imports of essential items.

This nightmarish situation has crippled the lives of common citizens who have been waiting in long queues across the country for groceries and fuel.

At least two elderly men reportedly died in different parts of the country waiting for petrol and kerosene oil. And, as anger against the government grows, troops have been deployed outside state-run petrol pumps to thwart protests that have been breaking out sporadically.

There have also been long spells of power outage for several weeks now, with some blackouts lasting for as long as seven hours.

Unable to eke out a living at home, some citizens are even resorting to flee to India. So far, a total of 16 Sri Lankan refugees from Jaffna and Mannar arrived at Tamil Nadu in a boat, on 22 March in hopes of restarting their lives.

Unable to eke out a living at home, some citizens are even resorting to fleeing to India.

Sri Lankan army soldiers stand guard as people queue up to buy kerosene oil in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, 25 March 2022. Earlier this month, Sri Lanka's president requested people's support by limiting electricity and fuel consumption to cope with the worst economic crisis in memory.

So far, a total of 16 Sri Lankan refugees from Jaffna and Mannar arrived at Tamil Nadu in a boat on 22 March in hopes of restarting their lives.

Sri Lankans wait in a queue to buy kerosene oil in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, 25 March 2022.

Sri Lankans wait in a queue to buy cooking gas at a vendor in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, 25 March 2022.

Six Srilankan refugees, including three children, who were fleeing Sri Lanka, were picked up by the Indian coast guard from the fourth island near Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu.