Press Release on Food Aid to Maldives from India
India will send580 tons of food aid to the Maldives as part of ongoing assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The food aid follows the telephone conversation between PM Narendra Modi and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on April 20 when the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation in the wake of COVID-19.
The foodstuffs will reach the Maldives shortly onboard INS Kesari and includes:
Parboiled Rice: 200 tons
Wheat Flour: 140 tons
Sugar: 80 tons
Yellow Dal: 120 tons
Onions: 26 tons
Potatoes: 14 tons
2. The food aid is part of India’s Security and Growth for All (SAGAR) doctrine of the Government of India. The Maldives will be the first stop for INS Kesari which will distribute food and medicines to countries in the region.
3. Both India and the Maldives have supported a regional strategy to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on our peoples. This food aid is a token of friendship from the people of India to the people of the Maldives during the holy month of Ramadan. It is another milestone in the time-honored and close relations between our two nations. In the last two months Indian assistance has included sending a medical team, essential medicines, evacuating Maldivians from Wuhan and sharing best practices in combatting COVID-19. India has been the first responder whenever Maldives has requested assistance in emergencies.
