Dubai ruler sets up committee to aid Kerala flood relief
1 min read 19 Aug 2018, 08:22 AM ISTThe Kerala floods committee announced by Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum will also seek the help of prominent Indians in the UAE
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Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and the vice president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Twitter Saturday the formation of a committee to provide relief to flood-ravaged Kerala where more than 300 people have died due to monsoon floods. In his Twitter posts, Maktoum also urged residents of the UAE to “contribute generously towards this initiative".
“The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid al-Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India," one of the posts by the Dubai ruler said.
“The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days," Maktoum said.
The “UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected. We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative," he said in posts in English as well as Malayalam besides Arabic.
The committee announced by Maktoum will be chaired by the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) and will include representatives from the UAE’s humanitarian organisations, news reports said. The committee will also seek the help of prominent members among the Indian resident community in the UAE.
The president of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has expressed his condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the loss and damage in the Kerala floods.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ₹ 500 crore financial assistance to Kerala after reviewing the flood situation. Modi also directed National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to repair the damaged national highways in the state on priority, and asked insurance companies to settle claims under crop insurance and social security schemes on time. The prime minister also announced an ex-gratia of ₹ 2 lakh per person to the next kin of the deceased and ₹ 50,000 to those seriously injured. Modi also said the centre will help rebuild homes, provide assistance to farmers, and additional funds under the employment guarantee scheme.
The deadly floods in Kerala have claimed nearly 324 lives since May. Many people are still stranded as the rain intensified.
