Donations to Gaza fund delivered to Qatar Red Crescent Society

The MVR 29.5 million ($1.91 million) collected by the Help Gaza Telethon, held from 8 to 9 August by local media organisations, and the Gaza Fund Maldives, has been delivered to the Qatar Red Crescent Society via the Bank of Maldives (BML).

This has been confirmed to Sun Online by the Media Coordinator of the Help Gaza Telethon Steering Committee, Ahmed Zahir (Hiriga), who said that the money was sent on Thursday.

Zahir said that the final amount delivered to the Qatar Red Crescent Society includes additional MVR 94,922.28, which was received after the symbolic cheque was signed on 27 August.

Zahir added that BML facilitated the exchange of MVR 29.5 million to US Dollars at the rate of MVR 15.42 per US Dollar, as well as the transfer of this money to the account of Qatar Red Crescent Society at the Commercial Bank of Qatar Limited, without any commission.

He said that following the delivery of this money, donations will no longer be accepted to the Gaza Fund Maldives and the Help Gaza Telethon accounts opened for this purpose at BML and the Islamic Bank.

An agreement has been signed between the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation, the Gaza Fund Maldives, and the Qatar Red Crescent Society, regarding utilisation of these donations.

According to the agreement, the money should be utilised within 90 days, to provide water, food, and medicine to the people in need in Gaza; and once the aid is delivered, this must be informed to the Help Gaza Steering Committee and the Gaza Fund Maldives.

Zahir said that the Help Gaza Steering Committee will closely monitor the situation until the aid is delivered to the people of Gaza.

Zahir thanked the public for their generous donations to the fund, and also thanked the government, the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), and BML for their assistance in exchanging the money from Maldivian Rufiya to US Dollars.