Sri Lanka crisisBankrupt Sri Lanka's poor face life in darkness as price of IMF bailout
Hundreds of thousands cut off from grid; fund insists social safety net is a priority
Colombo slum residents in July. Electricity price hikes have hit the poorest Sri Lankans hard, leaving many without power. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondent
November 23, 2023 12:00 JST
BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka -- As the sun sizzled over small, run-down houses in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Batticaloa, a 35-year-old mother struggled to keep her newborn baby cool in the front room of her home. She sat on the floor, cradling the infant as a ceiling fan slowly turned overhead.