Torched: Sri Lanka's Economy

‘Now, this jar of milk costs 850 rupees. It used to cost 400. We can’t afford it anymore,’ says a local Sri Lankan woman standing in front of the empty kitchen shelves. Her family can’t buy enough food for the children and struggles to survive each day. With prices in Sri Lanka having doubled and continuing to rise in 2022, this is a common story. The culprit is a fuel shortage. Sri Lanka is entirely dependent on importing energy resources and has no money to buy them from Western countries. Since the US put an embargo on Russian oil and gas, many countries have faced an economic downturn, and Sri Lanka is among those struggling the most.

Today, Sri Lanka is shaken by riots. The government is having to battle both an economic crisis and civil unrest. Who will win the battle and what awaits the country in the near future?

Watch "Torched: Sri Lanka's Economy" on RTD website.