The Sri Lanka High Commission in Male in an effort to mitigate the many difficulties faced by Sri Lankans residing in the Maldives, whose access to food items and medicines is limited, has continued to distribute the food supplies and essential items dispatched by the Ministry of Foreign Relations comprising 10,000kgs (2000 packs) of support kits.
The Sri Lankan Airlines has collaborated with the Foreign Ministry in this cause, through carrying these support kits on a cost free basis, by a Sri Lankan Airlines cargo flight to the Maldives on 7 June 2020.
The Sri Lanka Mission has commenced the distribution of the support kits to the Sri Lankan community in Male, Hulhumale, Vilingili, Maafushi, Kelaa, Thulusdoo, Kagi, and Mabinhuraa, which are islands situated out of the Greater Male area and has also distributed these among Sri Lankan crew members of the Safari Boats in the Maldives. Further, arrangements have been made to send support kits to Thilafushi, Gan and Nauru Islands and the High Commission will continue to distribute these essential items in Greater Male (Male, Hulhumale and Vilingili Islands).
The distribution of essential items to the Sri Lankan community follows the recent repatriation of the most vulnerable groups of Sri Lankans in the Maldives facilitated on special Sri Lankan Airlines evacuation flights on 14 May and 13 June 2020. The Sri Lanka Mission and the Foreign Ministry coordinated these flights in close coordination with the Presidential Secretariat and the Maldivian Government.
