Gov’t yet to deliver one million cans of tuna donated to Palestine
Heena back then revealed that the Egyptian Red Crescent would then begin distributing those cans to the people of Gaza
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives
It has been revealed that the one million cans of tuna donated to the bereaved people of Palestine by the former administration of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, is yet to be delivered by the incumbent administration.
Former President Solih announced the decision to donate in-kind assistance to the people of Palestine, of two million cans of tuna, on 24 October 2023.
The donation aimed to support the efforts to provide humanitarian and relief aid to those affected by the unprovoked air strikes across Gaza Israeli armed forces had been carrying out since 7 October 2023 until a ceasefire agreement came into effect on 19 January 2025.
The former administration noted that the donation would be a symbol of the Maldives’ strongest solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Back then, taking to social media platform ‘X’, the then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid had said that President Solih had decided to donate two million cans of tuna in aid to the brothers and sisters in distress in Palestine. The former minister went on to state that the gift was glaring proof that Maldivians stand with the oppressed people of Palestine.
However, more than a year has passed since President Solih's administration ended and the current administration of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu took over, yet the one million cans of tuna have still not been delivered to Gaza.
Dr. Muizzu took over as the eighth president of Maldives, at a time the former administration had already settled the payment to purchase two million cans of tuna, to MIFCO and paid freight charges required to ship the donation. Since then, there were reports that the tuna cans were distributed amidst the preparations for the People’s Majlis polls.
Speaking on RaajjeTV’s ‘Fashaairu’ programme, an official at the foreign ministry revealed that the first shipment containing 400,000 cans of tuna out of the one million is still in a warehouse called Al-Arish in Egypt under the care of the Egyptian Red Crescent, and that information has been received that the shipment will be delivered to Gaza as soon as the border opens.
Further, the foreign ministry official clarified that the shipment has not been delivered yet, due to difficulties in transporting the cans, having to pack them in a certain way, and other numerous obstacles.
When inquired about how long it would take to send the remaining 600,000 cans to Gaza, the foreign ministry official reveled that efforts are still underway to send the shipment to Gaza and that the cans will be sent as soon as the border opens.
The foreign ministry provided this information to RaajjeTV on Tuesday. Back in September 2024, at a press conference held at the President's Office, Chief Spokesperson at the President’s Office Heena Waleed said that out of the one million cans of tuna that the previous government decided to send to Palestine, 7,800 cases of tuna would be sent on 15 September 2024 and that the cases would reach there within 40 days of sending.
Heena back then revealed that the Egyptian Red Crescent would then begin distributing those cans to the people of Gaza.
However, four months have passed since Heena’s statement, and even though a ceasefire agreement has been established between Palestine and Israel and the war has come to a “halt”, the first 400,000 cans of tuna out of the one million have still not reached the people of Palestine.
