Stelios Foundation Opens €280,000 Aid for Ferry Disaster Families

The foundation said a total of up to €280,000 would be distributed, with each affected family eligible to receive €10,000 in financial assistance.

Relatives of those who died or remain missing can apply through a dedicated online form by submitting the required information and supporting documents. Applications are now being accepted, and families have already begun submitting their details.

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder and chairman of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and founder of the easy brand, said the assistance would be provided regardless of nationality.

“Peace and solidarity have always been enduring values for us, particularly in Cyprus, where my parents were born,” Haji-Ioannou said.

“Following the sinking of the ferry just four miles off the northern coast of Cyprus, we are providing emergency financial assistance to spouses, children and parents who have lost loved ones, regardless of their nationality.”

Haji-Ioannou said the foundation had provided similar assistance following emergencies in Cyprus and Greece, including the 2011 Mari explosion, the victims of serial killer Metaxas in 2019, the 2018 Mati fires and the 2023 Tempi train disaster.

“We have never discriminated based on the nationality of the victims,” he said.

He added that he hoped the humanitarian assistance would ease, even slightly, the suffering of the 28 grieving families and contribute to lasting peace in Cyprus.