Sri Lanka economic crisis requires ‘immediate global attention’

COLOMBO (News 1st); A group of UN human rights experts said in an appeal to the international community that greater support must be given to Sri Lanka as the country faces economic crisis and political turmoil.

A group of UN human rights experts said in a statement that Sri Lanka’s economic collapse needs immediate global attention, not just from humanitarian agencies, but from international financial institutions, private lenders and other countries who must come to the country’s aid.

The nine experts expressed alarm over record high inflation, rising commodity prices, power shortages, a crippling fuel crisis and economic collapse, as the country grapples with unprecedented political turmoil.

The crisis has had a serious impact on human rights, the experts said adding that prolonged disrupted access to food and healthcare, has severely affected people with illnesses, pregnant women and lactating mothers who are in serious need of life-assistance.

The experts said the “snowballing economic and debt crisis” was deepened by the government’s hasty and botched agricultural transition, adding that the World Food Programme (WFP) has launched an emergency response as nearly 62,000 citizens are in need of urgent assistance.