President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, alongside Cabinet Ministers, senior government officials, and staff from the President’s Office, observed a minute of silence this morning to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The solemn event took place at 9:23 am, the exact time the tsunami struck the Maldives.

The gathering was held on the grass field south of the President’s Office, the former site of the Huravee Building. Government employees in Malé City also joined in the act of remembrance near their workplaces.

The 2004 tsunami remains one of the most devastating natural disasters in the Maldives’ history, impacting all inhabited islands except nine. It claimed 82 lives, left 26 people missing, and displaced 15,000 residents.

Each year on December 26, the Maldives observes National Unity Day, honouring the resilience, solidarity, and national unity demonstrated by Maldivians in the aftermath of the tragedy. Today’s ceremony highlighted the importance of remembering those lost and reflecting on the collective strength of the nation in times of adversity.