Mar 22, 2022: Sri Lanka has ordered the deployment of troops at hundreds of petrol stations to assist in the distribution of fuel after tens of thousands of people lined up for hours due to the sudden rise in prices of essential commodities as well as shortages.

The country is battling a foreign exchange crisis that has devalued its currency and affected payments for essential imports such as food, medicine and fuel, prompting the government to turn to the International Monetary Fund.

The decision to deploy troops near petrol pumps and kerosene supply points came after three elderly men were killed while waiting in long queues, officials said Tuesday. “At least two military personnel will be deployed at each fuel pump,” military spokeswoman Nilantha Primartne told Reuters, adding that the military would help manage the distribution of fuel but not control the crowds.

“The military has been deployed to help the public, not to curtail their human rights,” he added.

Military officials said the troops were stationed at the pumping stations of the state-run Saloon Petroleum Corporation, which accounts for two-thirds of the country’s retail fuel business with a population of 22 million.

Tensions over the scarcity of supplies has led to sporadic violence among residents jostling to buy fuel and other essential items.

On Monday a group of angry women blockaded a coach carrying tourists to protest against shortages of kerosene needed for cooking stoves.

President Gotabhaya Raja Pakse’s office on Wednesday announced a summit of all political parties to discuss the economic crisis, but opposition groups said they planned to boycott the meeting.

Sri Lanka’s financial crisis has been caused by a severe shortage of foreign currency, leaving traders unable to finance imports. The pandemic has engulfed the island’s tourism sector – a major foreign exchange earner – and Sri Lankan remittances working abroad have also fallen sharply.

The president had announced last week that the country would demand a bailout from the IMF.

Shortages have wreaked havoc on almost every aspect of daily life, with authorities postponing term tests for millions of students last week due to a lack of paper and ink.

Stay tuned to BaaghiTV for latest news and Updates!