Maldives Dispatches Humanitarian Aid to Sri Lanka
Maldives provides USD 50,000 to support Sri Lanka’s post-Cyclone Ditwah recovery efforts | Photo: @HMVijithaHerath via X
A Maldives State Shipping (MSS) vessel has departed Malé carrying 25,000 cases of canned fish as part of the Maldives’ humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka following the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
I am grateful to President @MMuizzu for his kind message and for the generous support extended by the Maldives to Sri Lanka. The solidarity demonstrated by our neighbour has been deeply reassuring to our people and reflects the strength of our longstanding relationship.
— Anura Kumara Dissanayake (@anuradisanayake) December 3, 2025advertisement
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The MSS Galena left Malé with 14 containers of relief supplies. The Galena, purchased in 2021, is the company’s first privately owned cargo vessel.
In addition to the shipment, the Maldivian government handed over USD 50,000 in financial assistance to the Sri Lankan government. Maldivian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Masood Imad presented the contribution to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath during a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Colombo.
The government’s aid package includes USD 50,000 and 25,000 cases of canned fish amounting to 1.2 million cans. Public Service Media (PSM) has also handed over USD 800,352 (MVR 12.3 million), raised through the Ceylon Aa Eku Dhivehin telethon, to the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry. Major Maldivian businesses have made further contributions through the Sri Lankan Embassy in Malé, while private individuals and community groups continue to organise fundraising drives.
Cyclone Ditwah and the resulting heavy rains have caused extensive flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, with reported damage exceeding that of the 2004 tsunami in several regions. The death toll has surpassed 400, marking one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in recent decades.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today expressed his gratitude to the Maldivian people for their support. In a message posted on X, he thanked President Dr Mohamed Muizzu for his solidarity and acknowledged the aid received from the Maldives, stating that it brought great comfort to the people of Sri Lanka and reflected the strength of the long-standing relationship between the two nations.
