News Desk
MALÉ, Maldives — In a rare show of regional solidarity, the Maldives has mobilized its state broadcaster, private corporations, and ordinary citizens to help Sri Lanka recover from devastating floods that have displaced thousands and left entire communities submerged.
Public Service Media (PSM), working in tandem with several Maldivian outlets, launched a live telethon on Sunday morning. By dawn the next day, organizers reported contributions totalling 5.4 million Maldivian rufiyaa — roughly $350,000. Donations poured in through a special account opened at Bank of Maldives, as well as collection boxes placed across the capital.
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Malé, Mohamed Rizvi Hassen, praised the Maldives for being the first to respond to Colombo’s aid call after Cyclone Ditwah. He thanked President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and the Maldivian people for their swift solidarity, noting that the two nations share not only brotherly ties but also common vulnerabilities to climate change. Just as the Maldives stood by Sri Lanka in this crisis, he said, both countries must now stand together on the global stage to press for stronger action against environmental threats.
The telethon, initially slated to close at 1 p.m., was extended to allow more time for pledges. “We wanted to give people every chance to stand with Sri Lanka,” a PSM official said.
Support has come from across the political and corporate spectrum. The ruling PNC parliamentary group, which commands a supermajority in the legislature, pledged MVR 300,000. Bank of Maldives added $25,000. Stelco, the state-owned utility, contributed 250,000 rufiyaa.
Private industry stepped in with larger sums. Sun Siyam Group, one of the Maldives’ leading resort operators, announced a $200,000 donation. Its founder, Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, personally handed over a symbolic check to Sri Lanka’s ambassador in Malé, Mohammed Rizvi Hassan, and promised further contributions in the days ahead.
Employees of the Road Development Corporation gave one day’s salary, amounting to MVR 100,000. Crown & Champa Resorts, another heavyweight in the tourism sector, chipped in $10,001.
The outpouring reflects both proximity and shared vulnerability. Sri Lanka’s crisis, triggered by torrential rains and landslides, has resonated deeply in the Maldives, itself no stranger to climate shocks. “We know what it means to be at the mercy of the sea,” one donor remarked outside the TVM building, where volunteers were still collecting envelopes late into the night.
For Sri Lanka, the aid is modest compared to the scale of destruction. But for Maldivians, the telethon has become more than a fundraiser. It is a gesture of kinship — a reminder that in the Indian Ocean, neighbours rise together when the waters do.
Image: PSM
