Indian naval ship, INS Kesari, has arrived in the Maldives with 580 tonnes of food aid.
Speaking to PSM News, Indian High Commissioner in Maldives Sunjay Sudhir said the food aid is a token of friendship from the people of India to the people of the Maldives commemorating the holy month of Ramadan. The food aid includes 200 tonnes of rice, 140 tonnes of wheat flour, 90 tonnes of sugar, 120 tonnes of yellow lentils, 26 tonnes of onions and 14 tonnes of potato. Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) is currently in efforts to unload the goods from the ship.
Mission Sagar is inspired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). As part of the initiation, INS Kesari is on a trip to five nations in South Indian ocean to deliver essential food items, medical supplies and assistance in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maldives was the first stop of INS Kesari, with Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles also included in the mission.
India has assisted the Maldives in various means within the past 2 months in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.