Maldivian: 9 tons of items received as care package for Maldivians in Sri Lanka

National airline Maldivian has announced that it had received 8.9 tons of items to be transported as part of a care package to Maldivians living in Sri Lanka.

The airline has made arrangements for charter flights to be conducted between Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The airline collected items to be sent by cargo by locals to their family members and loved ones in the neighboring country.

Maldivian stated that the charter flight was now ready to depart to Sri Lanka. The airline will be collecting items to be sent to Sri Lanka every Saturday from 9:00 to 12:00.

Foreign Ministry stated that only essential items such as medications are to be sent through the cargo flights.

ITEMS WHICH CAN BE SENT:

• Prescribed pharmaceuticals
• Cases on canned tuna
• Cases of noodles
• Rihakuru (only jars with original MIFCO or Enzi packaging)
• Fish packets/other packed food items available for sale

ITEMS WHICH CANNOT BE SENT:

• Money
• Raw fish
• Cake
• Short eats
• Fruits
• Vegetables

Care packages can be handed over to the Maldivian city check-in office located in the Greater Male’ Bus Station from 9 am to 12 pm every Saturday.

Since the space on the cargo flights is limited, priority will be given based on the order of form submission.

The weight of the care package must be limited to 15 kilos per family.

Neighboring Sri Lanka hosts some 15,000 Maldivian nationals. It has closed its borders and has imposed curfews to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Many Maldivian nationals who reside in Sri Lanka report the measures have resulted in long queues outside shops to purchase even the most essential of products. They sometimes need to wait in queue for hours, and by the time they manage to enter the shop, the products they want are no longer available.

122 have tested positive for the virus in Sri Lanka, and the death toll currently stands at one.