"After economic collapse a new war is upending the lives of Sri Lankans eager to work in the Gulf", 26 March 2026

… After months of training to work abroad, the 26-year-old mother of one from Puttalam in Sri Lanka's Northwestern Province, is in limbo after her plans to travel to Kuwait as a housemaid … were derailed by the sudden outbreak of war in the Middle East.

She was ready. It was to be her first overseas journey and the job at the other end would have provided desperately-needed money for her family.

But now her plans are now on hold. The employment agency has told her she must wait until the end of the year…

Now, the outbreak of war in the Middle East is yet another test for the country, upending plans of workers like Kumari who rely on jobs abroad to support their families.

Around one million Sri Lankans work in the Middle East, and worker remittances remain one of the country's top sources of foreign exchange. Last year they contributed more than $US8 billion to the island nation's economy.

Fuel rations and a four-day week

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will introduce additional fuel rationing measures to shorten queues and secure extra oil supplies, a senior official said on Wednesday, as the island continues to manage shortages linked to the war.

Schools, universities and government offices were shuttered around the country of 22 million people after the government declared a public holiday … to help make its fuel supplies go further…

Sri Lanka in better shape than recent years

Thowfeek explained that since the crisis, Sri Lanka has rebuilt some macroeconomic buffers. Foreign exchange reserves are in decent shape, and the government's fiscal measures allowed for additional spending on Ditwah recovery…

To locals like Kumari, cost of living was already unbearable. She said her husband's income as a housekeeper, is barely enough to buy food and pay for utilities. Her option is to go abroad to work…