USD 800k raised in ‘Ceylon aa eku Dhivehin’ telethon handed over Foreign Ministry

USD 800,000 raised through 'Ceylon aa eku Dhivehin', a special telethon organized by Maldivian media to support neighboring Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, has been handed over to the Foreign Ministry.

The funds were handed over by thestate media, Public Service Media (PSM)’s Deputy Managing Director Abdulla Yameen and received by Foreign Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel.

The telethon, headed by PSM with the participation of 37 local media outlets, raised USD 800,352 in donations for Sri Lanka.

The telethon, which began at 09:00am on Sunday, was concluded at 14:00pm on Tuesday.

A total of 18 donation boxes were placed across the greater Male’ area as part of the telethon.

The money donated to donation boxes was counted by Bank of Maldives (BML) and Crowe Maldives, appointed as the auditor for the telethon.

Significant contributions were made by government agencies and organizations:  

• The Maldives Police Service made the largest single donation of MVR 2.4 million, the highest donation by a single party 
• The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) contributed MVR 1 million  
• Ruling People's National Congress (PNC)'s parliamentary group contributed MVR 300,000
• Bank of Maldives (BML) contributed USD 25,000 
• The Maldivian government pledged USD 50,000 in direct aid and 25,000 cases of canned tuna as part of its official relief package  

Public participation was also strong, with thousands contributing through donation boxes and telethon pledges.  

Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka last Wednesday, causing widespread damage and affecting 1.1 million people. The death toll from flooding and landslides brought on by heavy rainfall is approaching 400, with over 360 people still missing. Over 180,000 people have been displaced and moved to government-run shelters.