The Government disbursed MVR 736,600 in food assistance over the past two and a half years, the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has said.

Information shared by NSPA with MMTV under the Right to Information Act shows that MVR 835,480 was provided as food assistance between 2021 and the end of 2022. The highest amount of food assistance in a single year during the period covered by the data was recorded in 2025, when MVR 308,920 was disbursed.

NSPA provided MVR 289,160 in food assistance in 2023. The amount increased to MVR 297,720 in 2024, before rising by 3.7 per cent to MVR 308,920 in 2025.

The agency has disbursed a total of MVR 2,282,440 in food assistance between 2018 and the end of June 2026. Of that amount, MVR 129,960 was provided during the first six months of this year.

NSPA oversees a range of Government assistance programmes, including benefits for single parents and children with disabilities. In addition to healthcare support provided through Aasandha, the agency also provides financial assistance for essential living expenses, including food purchases and the payment of electricity and water bills.