Maldivian business magnate and Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim has contributed USD 100,000 to support disaster relief efforts in Sri Lanka, as the country struggles to recover from the deadly impacts of Cyclone Ditwah. The donation, made through Villa Group, underscores the depth of people to people solidarity between the Maldives and Sri Lanka at a time of national tragedy for the neighbouring country.
The symbolic cheque was handed over at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Malé, where Villa Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Ibrahim Siyad Qasim, who is also Qasim Ibrahim’s son, formally presented the USD 100,000 contribution to High Commissioner M. Rizvi Hassen. The funds are earmarked to assist emergency relief and recovery efforts for communities hardest hit by flooding and landslides.
Sri Lanka is facing one of its worst flood disasters in a decade, after Cyclone Ditwah triggered intense rainfall, river overflows and multiple landslides across large parts of the island. Official figures report at least 150 deaths, nearly 200 people missing and over half a million people affected, with tens of thousands displaced into temporary shelters as homes, roads and critical infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed.
The Villa Group donation comes amid a broader national response from the Maldives, where government, state institutions, businesses and the public are mobilising aid for Sri Lanka through the nationwide telethon campaign. The Maldivian government has separately announced a contribution of USD 50,000 and 25,000 cases of canned tuna for Sri Lanka’s relief operations, while the “Maldivians for Ceylon” telethon and other fundraising drives have already raised millions of rufiyaa for the cause.
Qasim Ibrahim, a former Speaker of the People’s Majlis and long time parliamentarian, is one of the country’s most influential political and business figures, leading both Villa Group and the Jumhooree Party. He was awarded the Order of Izzuddin in 2025 in recognition of his role in the nation’s political and constitutional development. His latest contribution to Sri Lanka’s relief effort positions him and his conglomerate as prominent private sector partners in Maldives regional humanitarian outreach, reinforcing historic ties of education, trade and social links between Maldivians and Sri Lankans.
