Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, creator and owner of the easy family of brands ( see www.easy.com and www.easyHistory.info ) and founder and President of the Stelios Philanthopic foundation ( see www.stelios.org and www.steliosfoundation.com.cy ) offers his most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the 8 people who have been confirmed as deceased during the sinking of the ferry that occurred on the 30th of August 2026 a few miles off the Northern coast of Cyprus. Moreover Sir Stelios sends his thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones of the 18 people still reported as missing as a result of the sinking of the ferry.
As a small but tangible gesture of support and solidarity towards the affected families, the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is announcing a direct cash donation totalling up to €260,000 to the next of kin of these 26 families of those that will be confirmed as deceased from the sinking of the ferry.
Specifically, the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation will make a cash donation by bank transfer of €10,000 to the next of kin of any person who has been confirmed as deceased because of the ferry sinking withing one month of the incident.
The total financial assistance amounts to €260,000 and is intended to provide immediate financial relief, a small gesture of help and support to the families facing these tragic consequences.
Procedure for receiving the donation
To receive the financial assistance, the next of kin of the deceased and or missing persons should follow the application process as it will be published online on the website www.steliosfoundation.com.cy
The financial assistance will be paid by bank transfer to the account of the closest living relative of each victim, up to and including the second degree of kinship.
The only condition is that the closest relative submits a written application to the Stelios Foundation proving kinship with the victims. For clarity the Stelios Foundation has determined the following order of priority for the closest living relative or next of kin : spouse, father, mother, oldest adult child, oldest brother or sister.
Applicants should provide on the online form the necessary documentation confirming their relationship to the victim or missing person, their contact details, as well as the bank account details to which the financial assistance is to be transferred, including the IBAN.
About the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, a non-profit organisation, is dedicated to supporting charitable activities in the 6 countries where Sir Stelios and his family have lived and worked: Cyprus, Greece, the UK, Ireland, Monaco, and France.
In Cyprus, the Foundation’s notable initiatives include the Bi-Communal Business Cooperation Awards and the Youth Entrepreneurship Awards, both offering financial grants to winners. In addition, the “Food from the Heart” initiative provides food to thousands facing economic hardship. The Foundation also extends financial aid to vulnerable groups, those impacted by major disasters, charitable organisations, and students through scholarships for university-level studies. By way of background the Stelios foundation has offered similar financial assistance on 3 occasions in the past and it was very well subscribed and appreciated: In Cyprus it was to the next of kin of the victims of the serial Killer Metaxas in 2019 and in Greece to the families of those deceased at the fires in Mati outside Athens in 2018 and the Tempi train collision in 2024 .