Giving blankets to stranded tourists and telling them "this is the best we can do for you" is a stain on the Maldives' reputation: Falah

Former Member of Parliament for West Maafannu, Mohamed Falah, has stated that it is a stain on the Maldives' reputation for a minister on the presidential committee—established to assist tourists stranded due to Middle East unrest—to provide 2,000 blankets while remarking, "This is the extent of what can be done for you."

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s "Fala Surukhee" program, Falah stated that the Maldivian economy is heavily dependent on tourism. He noted that approximately 90 percent of European tourists traveling to the Maldives arrive as transit passengers through Middle Eastern hubs, including airports in Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.

Falah stated that numerous individuals returning home were stranded at airports following the outbreak of the conflict on Saturday. He noted that passengers traveling via Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Qatar Airways were left waiting, highlighting what he described as a significant lack of government concern and assistance.

We have observed a significant lack of concern from our government. I saw a few photos and heard reports that the current Minister of Tourism met with them, provided the old terminal as a shelter, and distributed around 2,000 blankets. It makes me wonder—given that tourism is our strongest industry and the government generates substantial revenue from it through income tax—is this really how we should respond when an emergency of this nature strikes? I believe we must do better than this.

Mohamed Falah, the former Member of Parliament for the Maafannu West constituency.

Falah stated that adequate facilities must be provided to them, noting that merely providing a blanket and a cheap two-hundred-rupee mattress on the floor is unacceptable. He warned that such poor treatment would significantly tarnish the reputation of the country's luxury tourism industry.

The President has hastily established a ministerial committee. While the Cabinet itself functions as a committee, he has formed a separate, high-level committee chaired by the Foreign Minister, excluding himself from its membership. We are now hearing reports of the actions taken by a minister on this committee, who essentially told people to stay put after distributing about two thousand blankets, claiming that this is their current situation and the only assistance available to them. This is unacceptable and deeply embarrassing for us; such conduct must be rectified. This incident is a significant stain on the Maldives' international reputation.

Mohamed Falah, the former Member of Parliament for the Maafannu West constituency.

Falah stated that while the President had established a high-level committee to address the situation, the Maldives would be among the nations most severely impacted by the approximately 150 oil tankers currently stranded in the channel. He noted that the Maldives is a nation entirely dependent on imports from across the globe for its livelihood, highlighting that the country relies on foreign markets for everything down to the most basic necessities, such as toothpicks.

He stated that when the committee remains silent for two days without informing the public of their intended course of action, it inevitably raises questions about their credibility, even if they were to speak the truth now. Falah further noted that these doubts persist because, over the past two years, officials of the current administration have consistently and systematically misled the Maldivian people with blatant falsehoods from the very beginning.