Responding to the crisis in Sri Lanka, Britain Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advise against “all but essential travel to Sri Lanka”.
While both statements advise that travellers avoid protests and large gatherings, the British statement detailed Sri Lanka’s security forces’ deployment of “tear gas and water cannons” against protesters. The unrest has resulted in hundreds injured and several killed.
The UK statement further warned that Sri Lanka is experiencing “shortages of basic necessities including medicines, cooking gas, fuel and food because of a shortage of hard currency to pay for imports”.
The statement also details “long queues at shops and supermarkets, fuel stations, and pharmacies” as well as “ongoing daily power cuts due to electricity rationing”.
The Australian statement warned against potential attacks noting the Easter Sunday bombings. It further warns against landmines across the North-East.
The Australian statement also detailed continued “Violent crime, including sexual assault, harassment and robbery”.
Read more here: Canada, UK and New Zealand issue travel warnings over Sri Lanka's 'civil unrest'
Read the UK statement here.
Read the Australian statement here.
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