Sri Lanka: in the midst of economic crisis, food prices explode

Powdered milk, sugar, lentils, supermarkets are forced to ration essentials as Sri Lankan banks run out of dollars to pay for imports.

AFP - ISHARA S. KODIKARA

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

In Sri Lanka, food prices are skyrocketing, an increase of more than 20% in December according to official figures released on January 1.

Difficulties that occur when the country is sorely lacking in foreign currency.

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Sri

continues to see the prices of its basic products explode.

This week, the government increased the price of powdered milk by more than 12%.

Last month, it was fuel that saw a similar rise in price.

The situation is critical in the country: the island's economy, which depends very heavily on tourism, has been hit hard by

.

A risk of famine hangs over the country

Powdered milk, sugar, lentils ... supermarkets are forced to ration essentials as Sri Lankan banks run out of dollars to pay for imports.

Last month, a senior agriculture official warned of imminent famine risk and called on the government to act.

He was fired a few hours after making this appeal.

In his New Year's message, the Sri Lankan president expressed the hope of reviving the economy, but no concrete announcements of measures were made to resolve this crisis.

For its part, the country's central bank has launched an appeal to obtain more foreign currency as quickly as possible.

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• Sri Lanka

• Economic crisis