Kerala floods: UAE to form committee to help victims; Telangana announces aid

The United Arab Emirates announced to form a committee to provide relief for the people affected by the devastating flash floods in Kerala on Saturday.

The UAE President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan made the announcement on Twitter as he also urged everyone to "contribute generously towards this initiative."

UAE President wrote on Twitter, "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."

The second tweet read, "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."

"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," He further added.

As Kerala is hit with the worst flash floods of the century due to the continuous heavy rains from past few months accompanied by heavy gusty winds. Many states in the country have extended their support by announcing aid for the victims.
 
Telangana chief minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao also announced 25 crores and 10 reverse osmosis plants worth Rs 2.5 crore.

Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao tweeted on Friday, "To aid and assist our brothers and sisters of Kerala in their hour of grief, Telangana CM KCR Garu has just announced assistance of Rs 25 crore and 10 reverse osmosis plants worth Rs 2.5 crore towards the flood hit Kerala."

Meanwhile, the State Bank of India also donated 2 crores to chief minister's relief fund and announced waiver of fees and charges on services offered by the bank in Kerala.

Earlier on Friday, Punjab and Delhi had also announced an aid of 10 crores to Kerala.

The worst floods in a century in Kerala has killed at least 324 people so far and forced more than 200,000 into relief camps with the toll expected to rise as heavy rain pushes water levels higher still.

As the southwestern coastal state's chief minister sought military reinforcements to boost rescue efforts, a disaster management official said that, since the monsoon season started about three months ago, more than 324 people had died due to flooding and landslides.

As the waters have risen, many people have found it increasingly hard to access food and other basic amenities, or to reach safety.