Sri Lanka: Rising Global Civil Unrest?

Global Questions comes from Sri Lanka, as some experts warn that rising costs mean the worst civil unrest is yet to come in more than half the world's countries.

Many Sri Lankans blame the government for the island's worst economic crisis in history, contributing to estimates that 5.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across the country. Frustrations boiled over this summer into largely peaceful protests, with thousands taking to the streets and storming the president's official residence.

A recent report from Amnesty says the Sri Lanka economic crisis has had 'devastating consequences' on healthcare and food supplies. Life-threatening shortages of medicine and essential equipment mean the people of Sri Lanka face little to no access to healthcare and are being driven to the brink of starvation, malnutrition and deep poverty.

As the international business elite gather for the World Economic Forum in Davos, some experts are warning that rising costs mean the worst civil unrest is yet to come in more than half the world's countries.

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30 minutes