The United States embassy in Sri Lanka today issued an alert warning the American citizens in the island to be vigilant of the ongoing unstable situation.
The Embassy informed that the President of Sri Lanka has declared a public emergency, overnight, until further notice. A curfew has been imposed from 6:00 PM today (Saturday, April 2) until 6:00 AM on Monday, April 4. The Embassy noted that Sri Lanka is currently experiencing shortages of fuel and cooking gas as well as some medicines and essential food items, due to the ongoing economic situation in country and there have recently been protests over the economic situation and queues at gas stations, grocery stores, and some pharmacies.
Some of the protests have turned violent, and in response, police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, and imposed curfews.
There have also been daily planned power outages across the island, as well as some unplanned power outages, as fuel for backup generators is increasingly scarce. Public transportation in some instances has been limited or curtailed.
The embassy informed the travellers to monitor local media for updates on the ongoing situation, avoid the areas of rallies or demonstrations and exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests.
For Assistance:
U.S. Embassy – Colombo, Sri Lanka
• +94 77-725-8500 Phone
• +94 77-725-6307 Phone (after hours)
[email protected]
State Department – Consular Affairs -888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
