Bangladesh has donated over 7 tonnes of food and medical supplies to the Maldives to assist the efforts of the country to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aid was brought to the Maldives on a military flight of the Bangladesh Air Force. The items brought on the flight include fruits, vegetables, perishables as well as medicine and medical equipment.
In a statement issued to acknowledge the aid from Bangladesh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives Abdulla Shahid thanked the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Dr. A K Abdul Momen, the government and the people of Bangladesh for this gesture of goodwill and generosity. He added the aid is a manifest reflection of the close friendship and the significant historic bonds that exist between the two countries.
Minister Shahid noted recent weeks have seen a hike in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the Maldives, of which a large number of the affected have been the expatriate population. He reiterated the full commitment and support of the Maldivian government to provide maximum healthcare support to all those in need, without discrimination.
The Bangladesh Air Force flight is scheduled to depart on May 17. The foreign ministry revealed 70 Bangladeshi nationals will be repatriated from the Maldives on the return flight of the Bangladesh Air Force. The repatriation efforts are organised by the foreign ministry, in association with Ministry of Economic Development and the High Commission of Bangladesh in the Maldives.