India set to supply 580 tons of food aid to Maldives

India will provide the Maldives with 580 tons of food supply in order to assist the country with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic virus.

The aid is set to reach the Maldives via the Indian naval vessel INS Kesari.

The food aid comes after a call between the President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on April 20. During the phone call, the two leaders discussed the importance of cooperation in order to fully overcome the virus.

Items supplied by India include:

• Parboiled Rice: 200 tons
• Wheat Flour: 140 tons
• Sugar: 80 tons
• Yellow Dal: 120 tons
• Onions: 26 tons
• Potatoes: 14 tons

The aid is part of India’s Security and Growth for All (SAGAR) doctrine.

Neighboring Maldives will be the first stop for INS Kesari which will go on to distribute food and medicines to numerous countries in the region.

The Maldives and India have a historically close and strong relationship. It has been on full display amidst the pandemic virus and its effects on both countries. 

A statement by the Indian High Commission read that the food supply is a token of friendship from the people of India to the people of the Maldives during the holy month of Ramadan while also stating that the gesture marks another milestone in the time-honored and close relations between the two nations.

India has assisted the Maldives in numerous ways including by sending a medical team, essential medicines, evacuating stranded Maldivians from Wuhan, where the outbreak of the virus originated at first. The country has also assisted in repatriating Maldivians from India and shared effective practices in combatting against COVID-19.