Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs meets Maldives’ Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sheryna Abdul Samad, at the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Perth on Saturday 10 February, 2024. More than 400 delegates from across the Indian Ocean region and beyond are attending the conference on 9-10 February. This is the first time this gathering has been held in Australia, as host. The theme of the conference is “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean”.

Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs meets Maldives’ Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sheryna Abdul Samad, at the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Perth on Saturday 10 February, 2024. More than 400 delegates from across the Indian Ocean region and beyond are attending the conference on 9-10 February. This is the first time this gathering has been held in Australia, as host. The theme of the conference is “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean”.

Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs meets Maldives’ Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sheryna Abdul Samad, at the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Perth on Saturday 10 February, 2024. More than 400 delegates from across the Indian Ocean region and beyond are attending the conference on 9-10 February. This is the first time this gathering has been held in Australia, as host. The theme of the conference is “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean”.

Cleaning up following 2004 tsunami. Maldives 2005. Photo: AusAID

AusAID team arrives following 2004 tsunami. Maldives 2005. Photo: AusAID

Fruit and vagetable markets. Maldives 2005. Photo: AusAID

The only two items not imported in the Maldives are fish and coconuts. Everything else, including fuel, food, water, and housing materials needs to be shipped into Male’ and then shipped out to the other islands, many of which are up to 15 hours boat-ride away. Maldives 2005. Photo: AusAID

Fruit and vagetable markets. Maldives 2005. Photo: AusAID

fisherman with catch, Maldives 2005. Photo: AusAID

Shoreline following 2004 tsunami, before clean-up. Maldives 2005. Photo: AusAID

Shoreline following 2004 tsunami, after clean-up. Maldives 2005. Photo: AusAID