Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef has conveyed greetings on the occasion of National Unity Day, offering prayers and reflecting on the lives lost in the 2004 tsunami.

In a message shared on social media, the Vice President extended his well wishes to Maldivians and prayed to Almighty Allah to bless the souls of those who passed away in the disaster 21 years ago.

National Unity Day is observed annually on 26 December in remembrance of the solidarity shown by Maldivians following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The disaster affected the majority of inhabited islands, resulting in 82 confirmed deaths, 26 individuals recorded as missing and approximately 15,000 people displaced.

The nationwide recovery efforts saw State institutions and communities work collectively in response, and the day is now marked each year to honour those who were lost and to recognise the unity demonstrated in the aftermath.