With inflation hitting a record high, food prices skyrocketing, and its coffers drying up, Sri Lanka’s economic crisis deepens, and the country faces a “humanitarian crisis”. According to the World Bank’s estimate, 5 million people in Sri Lanka have fallen below the poverty line since the pandemic hit, which it described as “a shock equal to five years of progress”. The Census and Statistics Department (CSD) said last month that the country’s economy contracted by 1.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2021. There are fears that Sri Lanka may go bankrupt this year. However, the government on Tuesday said the country will not default on its international debt as it announced a USD 1.2 billion economic relief package.