News Desk
MALÉ, Maldives — Public Service Media (PSM), working with 37 media outlets across the country, staged a live telethon that began Sunday morning and stretched into the following day. By the time the phones went silent at 2 p.m. today, organizers reported contributions totalling 10,892,357.82 MVR and 43,631.31 USD.
PSM Managing Director Abdullah Yameen told local media that the funds had already been deposited, with additional contributions from unopened boxes still to be counted.
The government has pledged its own support: $50,000 in cash and 25,000 cases of tuna cans, to be sent directly to Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Malé, Mohamed Rizvi Hassen, praised the Maldives for being the first nation to respond to Colombo’s appeal after Cyclone Ditwah. He thanked President Dr. Muizzu and the Maldivian people for their swift solidarity, noting that the two countries share not only brotherly ties but also common vulnerabilities to climate change.
