Maldives donates US$25k for Sri Lanka relief efforts

The Maldivian government has donated US$25,000 to help relief efforts in Sri Lanka after devastating flooding and mudslides killed more than 200 people and displaced 600,000 last week.

Foreign Minister Dr Mohamed Asim handed over the cheque to his Sri Lankan counterpart on Wednesday.

He met with Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake as a special envoy of President Abdulla Yameen to convey condolences and to affirm that “the Maldives stands with Sri Lanka during this difficult time,” the president’s office said.

According to the Sri Lankan foreign ministry, the ministers also discussed “matters related to economic, health, education and fisheries sectors” as well as the “importance of having the Sri Lanka-Maldives Joint Commission meetings regularly”.

Asim also called on Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo on Friday morning.

“President Sirisena thanked Maldives for its solidarity with Sri Lanka at this time of national distress and conveyed sincere appreciation for the financial assistance by the Government of Maldives for the relief efforts in Sri Lanka,” the Maldives president’s office said.

According to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre, the death toll has risen to 208 with 92 people still missing.

The flooding and landslides caused by heavy rainfall on May 26 reportedly destroyed 1,735 houses and damaged 9,432 houses and 146 schools. Some 25,000 children were left without their school books and stationery, the Daily Mirror reported.

Some 16 countries sent medicines and relief supplies to assist displaced families last week.

A bout of bad weather with the onset of the south-west monsoon also wreaked havoc across the Maldives last week.