Maldivian Relief Shipment Reaches Sri Lanka Following Cyclone Ditwah
A Maldivian shipment of 25,000 canned tuna cases arrived in Colombo to support Sri Lanka | Photo: Maldives in SriLanka
Sri Lankan authorities have received a humanitarian consignment of canned tuna from the Maldives, delivered yesterday as part of ongoing efforts to support the country’s recovery from Cyclone Ditwah.
A Maldives State Shipping vessel, the Galena, arrived in Colombo carrying 25,000 cases of canned tuna packed into 14 containers.
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
The Government of Maldives officially delivers the humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka
📃 Press Release | https://t.co/4IoaDxs2hR pic.twitter.com/Tmdm2FNHJg— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇲🇻 (@MoFAmv) December 5, 2025
The food aid supplements a financial contribution of USD 50,000 previously transferred by the Maldivian government to Sri Lanka. The relief consignment was formally handed over in Colombo by the Maldives High Commissioner, Masood Imad, alongside senior diplomats from the High Commission. Sri Lanka was represented by officials from the Disaster Management Centre, the Sri Lanka Navy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Authorities said the donation would assist national response efforts and would be distributed through the relevant government agencies to communities affected by the cyclone.
Maldivian officials described the assistance as an expression of the close diplomatic relationship between the two countries and reaffirmed their solidarity with the Sri Lankan people during a period of significant hardship.
Public contributions have also bolstered the relief effort. A nationwide telethon organised by media outlets raised USD 800,000 from citizens and institutions, with the funds remitted to the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for onward distribution.
The scale of the disaster continues to unfold. Cyclone Ditwah has claimed 479 lives, left 350 people missing and affected an estimated 1.2 million people across Sri Lanka.
