The State Trading Organization (STO) has donated MVR 300,000 to the “Falastheenaa’eku Dhivehi” telethon fund, an initiative led by the Public Service Media (PSM) to assist the Palestinian people amid the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The crisis has been exacerbated by Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza and blockade of humanitarian aid into the occupied enclave.
The telethon, inaugurated by President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, seeks to marshal critical financial support for Gaza’s inhabitants. To facilitate donations, PSM placed donation boxes across 13 locations in Malé City and established two bank accounts—one for MVR and another for USD contributions.
STO’s donation of MVR 300,000 to the Palestine fund is part of a broader support campaign that includes public donations collected through boxes placed at STO People’s Choice and the company’s headquarters in Malé. This is not the first instance of STO’s philanthropy towards the Palestinian cause; in 2023, the company donated MVR 1 million on behalf of the STO group.
The initiative has received widespread support from STO staff in Malé City and across the country, who have been actively engaged in collecting donations and contributing to the fund. STO has consistently demonstrated its strong commitment to supporting humanitarian causes, with its actions during this telethon serving as yet another testament to this dedication.
The television marathon, a collaborative effort between PSM and other television stations across the Maldives, commenced at 8 a.m. on Wednesday and concluded at midnight. The funds raised through this initiative are earmarked to be delivered to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) via the Maldives’ Foreign Ministry.
According to the latest reports, Israel has killed at least 37,202 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and caused injuries to nearly 85,000 others in Gaza since 7 October. Israeli forces have also destroyed nearly 75 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including homes, hospitals, schools, and places of worship, while also blocking the entry of essential aid into the occupied enclave, pushing the population of 2.5 million people into starvation.