Is UAE To Grant Flood-Hit Kerala Rs.700 Crores? Truth Revealed!!!

For the past few days, Kerala and Center are at each other’s throats for denying UAE Rs. 700 crores of financial aid.

But has UAE promised the above amount to Kerala? Here is the truth.

The Ambassador of the Gulf country in India has categorically denied ever making any announcement of the aforementioned amount and said the “assessment of relief” was still going on.

“The assessment of relief needed for the flood and aftermath is ongoing. Announcing any specific amount as financial aid, I don’t think it is final since it is still ongoing,” Ahmed Albanna said.

Albanna stressed that the amount has not been finalized

This comes a week after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed in his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has offered an assistance of Rs 700-crore.

As per the UAE’s government’s official website, in line with the directives issued by its leadership, a humanitarian relief campaign was launched, which included official institutions, citizens, residents and businessmen from India and the UAE to aid residents of Kerala.

To this end, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation contributed donations of AED 10 million to support the floods victims in Kerala.

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The other donors included Indian businessman Yousef Ali, owner and the Director of the Lulu Commercial Group, who is from Kerala, who donated AED 5 million, and Dr. BR Shetty, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NMC Specialist Hospital, who also donated AED 5 million, to support the Indian government’s efforts to help the flood victims.

Besides, Sunny Varkey, founder and chairman of GEMS Education, has also pledged to support the National Committee to Rescue Kerala with AED 5 million.

All that has happened is that UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum have formed a national emergency committee. The main goal was to look into sourcing out funds, aid material, medicines and other things for our friendly people and friends in Kerala, who have been hit by the unfortunate flood,” said Ambassador Albanna.

“The committee is coordinating with the federal authorities since we know and understand the financial aid rules in India. And, it is also coordinating with the local authorities for immediate aid in terms of relief and food material,” he said. “We are working through the organisations like Red Crescent in UAE, and organisations in the state of Kerala as well as others based in India,” the Ambassador said.

WILL THE 14-YEAR-OLD LAW MAKE A ONE-TIME EXCEPTION?

The central government has drawn flak from the opposition parties and others for invoking a policy decision taken by the Manmohan Singh government in 2004 in the aftermath of the Tsunami for not accepting foreign aid. However, Union minister K J Alphons last night appealed for a “one-time exception” to the 14-year convention to allow overseas assistance, notably from the United Arab Emirates(UAE).

“Kerala has contributed huge amounts of foreign exchange through remittance in the last 50 years. In fact, in the last year itself, it had brought Rs 75,000 crore… For these reasons, as a junior minister, I am appealing to my senior colleagues to make a special consideration for the state. I appeal to them to make a one-time exception to the policy,” said Alphons.