Dubai: The UAE is among the latest countries which have issued travel advisories on Sri Lanka, following the declaration of state of emergency in the Asian state.
The country’s embassy in Colombo tweeted on Thursday that Emirati nationals should take precautions and vigilance when travelling to Sri Lanka, in view of the current situation there.
UAE citizens are also advised to avoid crowded places and contact the embassy in case of an emergency.
وتهيب السفارة مواطني الدولة المسافرين بالتواصل مع سفارة الدولة في كولومبو في الحالات الطارئة على الرقم يرجي الاتصال علي هاتف رقم 0094112301601 أو على مركز الاتصال على رقم 0097180044444.@MOFAUAE
— @UAEEmbColombo (@uaeembcolombo1) March 8, 2018
The Sri Lankan Government announced on Tuesday that it has placed the country under a state of emergency in the wake of Buddhist-Muslim clashes.
تنوه سفارة الدولة لدى سيرلانكا المواطنين الكرام لأخذ الحيطة والحذر عند سفرهم إلى سيرلانكا ، وتجنب الأماكن المزدحمة بسبب الأوضاع الراهنة في منطقة (كاندي).@MOFAUAE
— @UAEEmbColombo (@uaeembcolombo1) March 8, 2018
A top Sri Lankan official based in the UAE had earlier said that there’s no need to worry about the current security situation in the country.
According to Sulaiman J. Mohideen, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UAE, the emergency declaration is just a “preventive step” taken by authorities to ward off the spread of violence.
“It is a measure to prevent the violence from spreading to other parts of the country, which is otherwise limited to some villages in Kandy district,” Mohideen said.