Bankrupt 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

20231117 poor people in Colombo

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

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.

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