Sri Lankan ex-pats in the United Arab Emirates are concerned about their nation’s fate and their families back at home, which they say is both complicated and sensitive.
Sri Lanka is presently going through the worst economic crisis following the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after he was driven out of the nation, with the country facing a state of emergency soon after.
Though Sri Lanka is looking forward to voting for a new President on July 20, Sri Lankans residing in the UAE say the actual situation may be rough for citizens despite wanting to stay hopeful.
Riya Mohamed from Akurana in Sri Lanka’s Kandy district has his three children, wife and mother back home.
He stated that he talks to his family daily. People are going through trying times back home. There is a lack of gas, particularly in urban areas.
He said that his family is in a rural area, so his wife cooks on firewood which is not an option always for other people. Moving from one place to another has become an enormous problem, particularly for people of old age who can’t wait for public transport for long or walk from one place to another as there is limited transportation on the road.
Residents also stated that Sri Lanka is facing an economic crisis because of the mismanagement of successive governments.
Last month, a Sri Lankan ex-pat Vijayaluxmi went to a town near Colombo for the wedding of her daughter.
She explained that there was a fuel shortage, so transportation was a huge problem. There are no three-wheelers or buses available easily. The buses are highly crowded, and there is also a lack of cooking gas.
The country has seen several months of protests over a rise in prices of basic necessities, a lack of essential services, fuel and food and a crippled health system.