Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday announced its decision to facilitate care packages for Maldivians stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from their families in Maldives.
According to the foreign ministry, arrangements are made with the national airline 'Maldivian' to carry care packages to UAE, on its cargo flight scheduled for Thursday.
As cargo planes have limited space, the service will be prioritized on a first-come-first-served basis, the ministry said.
Those that wish to send a care package can apply to the cargo service through an online application form on the ministry’s website: https://www.foreign.gov.mv/index.php/en/
Thereafter, packages must be handed over to the designated counter at Velana International Airport near the departure gates between 0900 hrs to 1500 hrs on Thursday, April 16.
For additional inquiries regarding care packages to UAE, ministry hotline can be reached via +960 3023943 or +960 3023996.
As per foreign ministry’s guidelines, families are permitted to send packages up to a maximum allowance of 15 kilogrammes.
Items which are permitted to be sent in the care packages include:
- Tuna cans
- Fish paste 'Rihaakuru’ (in original packing with the label attached)
- Packaged food items including smoked tuna, dried tuna, tuna flakes, chili paste, fried breadfruit and tapioca chips (in original packing with the label attached)
- Spices (in original packing with the label attached)
The government has previously facilitated care package deliveries for Maldivians stranded in Colombo in Sri Lanka, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Trivandrum and Kochin in India.
A cargo flight carrying care packages to Bangkok, Thailand is also scheduled for Thursday.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries have imposed strict travel restrictions, leaving hundreds of Maldivians stranded in foreign countries.
The national airline, Maldivian has already facilitated the repatriation of 100 Maldivians stranded in neighbouring Colombo, Sri Lanka as well as 188 from Cochin, India on April 6 and April 7 respectively, and further 197 Maldivians stranded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 8.
Amid worldwide travel restrictions, the Maldivian government is working to maintain its pledge to repatriate Maldivians abroad wishing to return home.
However, several hundred Maldivian students remain stranded in foreign countries, including those in Bangladesh and Nepal under lockdowns imposed by their respective governments, while students in Belarus have expressed concerns regarding their safety due to Belarus government's inadequate response to COVID-19.
Maldives now has 20 confirmed and six active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 14 recoveries.
The World Health Organization has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has infected over 1.92 million people and claimed over 119,700 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 452,100 people have recovered.
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