Minister of Social and Family Development Dr Aishath Shiham has said that more than 17,000 households across 17 atolls have been visited under the Ministry’s Haalu Kihineh? programme.

The programme is designed to build a more compassionate society by directly engaging with communities to understand their circumstances and deliver services more closely and effectively.

The Ministry stated that special priority is being given to visiting households in all islands to identify individuals and families in need of assistance and to connect them with appropriate support services.

“Our most extensive work is to support families before they fall into crisis. In that effort, we have visited more than 17,000 households across 17 atolls under the Haalu Kihineh? programme,” Dr Shiham said.

Housing shortages emerged as the most common concern raised by households under the programme. The Ministry has also received complaints related to the need for medical assistance, challenges in accessing financial support through the social security system, difficulties in obtaining medical appointments, and issues related to importing medicines from abroad.