The Maldives’ Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid has called the international community to extend help to small developing island states in order to overcome the economic impact of the COVID-19, reported Sun. 

Shahid was speaking at an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), an organization founded in 1990. The Maldives has continuously been highlighting the plight of small island nations that have been badly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. 

“We must solicit support for a SIDS compact that entails specific financial instruments in the short, medium, and long term to help SIDS meet the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, service their debt and increase their limited fiscal space,” said Shahid. 

Maldives' economy contracted by 50 percent after the world went into the global lockdown, bring the country’s tourism industry to an abrupt halt. 

He also cautioned the states saying that the pandemic should not let our effort down for the climate actions which is most important to small island nations. The world should adopt a green recovery path, he added. 

AOSIS was formed just after the 14 small island states convened a meeting in 1990 to discuss the issue of the rising sea level. The grouping declared its intent to work, collaborate, seek international cooperation to protect low-lying small island states.