Sri Lanka is seeing its worst financial crisis in recent history, leaving its 22 million people struggling to buy food, medicine and fuel.

GAZETTENGER : HILLARY ESSIEN • JULY 9, 2022

President Rajapaksa/Protesters invading palace

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country as thousands of protesters demanding his resignation entered his official residence on Saturday. 

Bloomberg reported that Mr Rajapaksa left his official residence at about 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning, citing Mr Rajapaksa’s secretary Gamini Senarath.

Local television showed protesters entering Mr Rajapaksa’s office and residence in the commercial capital after breaking through security measures put in place by police.

At least 31 people, including two police officers, have been injured in the protests and are receiving treatment, according to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL). 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has called an emergency meeting of political party leaders amid growing anger over the government’s handling of an economic crisis.

Sri Lanka is seeing its worst financial crisis in recent history, leaving its 22 million people struggling to buy food, medicine and fuel.  The country is struggling due to a foreign exchange shortage which has halted imports of fuel, food and medicine.

Last week, Sri Lanka appealed for credit from other countries, international companies and foreign suppliers for fuel stocks to get it through the next two weeks.

The Lanka Indian Oil Company had issued one million litres of petrol and diesel to its 202 fuel stations after Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said that the government only had enough fuel supplies for one day but that the next petrol shipment was due only in two weeks.

Over 1,200 state-controlled fuel stations have stopped issuing fuel for private vehicles, saving it for vehicles needed to maintain essential services, such as health and food distribution.