Sri Lanka Crisis: Sri Lanka president calls for international help amid economic crisis

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday pleads for the international community to help his country to overcome the crisis which Sri Lanka is facing. "We urgently require the assistance of our friends in the international community to ensure ... our immediate needs," Rajapaksa said. 

Rajapaksa said it is "no secret" that the last few months have been "extremely difficult" for Sri Lanka. "We are presently undergoing a severe economic crisis that has profoundly impacted the lives of all Sri Lankans resulting in social unrest," he said. 

In April, the nation announced a so-called debt standstill "with the intention of restructuring this external public debt through negotiations with our creditors, while simultaneously approaching the International Monetary Fund for a suitable program," Rajapaksa said.

"We have appointed a new prime minister and a cabinet of ministers with representation from multiple political parties," Rajapaksa said, referring to Ranil Wickramasinghe. "And we are fostering ongoing discussions in parliament toward forming a national consensus on the way forward."

"We are also in urgent need of bridging financing to restore confidence in our external sector and stabilize our economy until the debt restructuring process is completed," said Rajapaksa.