Ministry of Islamic Affairs has started the distribution of Iftar packages donated to the Maldives by the Government of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia had donated 290 Iftar packages to be distributed among the poor during the month of Ramadan. The packages were officially received by Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Ahmed Zahir Ali during a special ceremony held on April 20.
The Islamic ministry stated efforts are underway to distribute the packages among families registered as poor in the Maldives. The ministry said due to the low number of packages in comparison to the number of people registered as poor, the ministry has decided to distribute the packages to families which have 4-5 members. The ministry stated volunteer organisations are assisting the ministry in the distribution of the packages.
In addition to the Iftar packages, Saudi Arabia has also donated 25 tonnes of dates to the Maldives ahead of Ramadan. Each person registered as poor will receive a pack of dates from this donation.