Maldives set to donate over USD 1.29 million to Palestine

Maldives has pledged a donation of over USD 1.29 million to the people of Palestine under attack from Israeli forces.

Maldivian Foreign Ministry states the pledge was made at the United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Pledging Conference held at the UN Headquarters on Friday.

Maldives announced the pledge in a statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations Dr. Ali Naseer Mohamed. In his statement, Ambassador Naseer also revealed the government’s decision to increase its annual contribution to UNRWA tenfold, from USD 5,000 to USD 50,000.

He referenced to the telethon conducted by state media PSM 'Falastheenaa eku Dhivehin' (Maldivians in solidarity with Palestine) under the direct instruction of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, noting MVR 18.4 million and USD 49,800 were raised for Palestinians by the general public.

The funds raised will be donated to Palestinians through UNRWA, said the Ambassador.

He also emphasized the important role UNRWA plays in providing crucial services and emergency assistance to Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely dire.

The Ambassador also called on the international community to fulfill its financial and political obligations to UNRWA.

Israel’s current war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children. It has also reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble, displaced the vast majority of residents, and resulted in widespread malnutrition.