COLOMBO -- On a Saturday evening, as rain lashed a grimy, working-class neighborhood in Sri Lanka's capital, a stream of women braved the storm to head into a Buddhist temple. They were not there to pray but to eat; since June 2022, the temple has served as a food relief station, providing what for many is their only meal of the day.
Sri Lankan families are having to endure prolonged misery as their government, encouraged by global bodies to spend its way through the pandemic, instead plunged the country into an economic crisis. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Big Story
Sri Lanka enters a new era of post-pandemic austerity
Encouraged to borrow during lockdowns, many poor countries face harsh consequences as priorities change
Read Next
Latest on The Big Story
