Sharjah: “You are a bunch of warriors... You guys have stayed strong amidst all these problems.” These are excerpts from a touching tribute to the flood heroes and civilians in Sharjah written by a little girl in the UAE.
As flooded streets got cleared up, Sharjah residents have been profusely thanking the selfless volunteers and the authorities who worked tirelessly for rescue and relief operations after the record rainfall that left many densely populated areas inundated for a week.
Residents have also expressed gratitude to the government authorities for announcing various measures to support those affected, including opening of channels of donation to aid them, waving traffic fines, clearing up the flooded streets and arranging a free medical camp along with volunteers and hospital groups.
Meanwhile, the handwritten letter (pictured below) from the anonymous girl has been one of the most cherished appreciations received by the community volunteers who served thousands of residents for over a week, said Deepu AS, general-secretary of AKCAF Association and an active member of the Rain Support UAE group that mobilised selfless residents to save their fellow human beings.
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Applause and salute
Amal Gireesh, another volunteer, said he was moved by an incident when residents of Al Majaz in Sharjah clapped and whistled as the volunteers waded through floodwaters to deliver food and water in the wee hours.
Faizal Bin Muhammed and the team he was with experienced another unforgettable moment. “Sharjah Police has been very supportive in facilitating rescue and relief operations. Once, when we were on a flooded street, we were so thrilled to see the policemen offering us a salute as they allowed us to cross,” he said.
Yazir Hameed, another active volunteer, also experienced a special moment of appreciation when Sharjah Police welcomed him and team to a flooded area with a round of applause.
‘You guys are angels’
Several videos of people thanking the volunteers also have emerged. One such video showed an expat woman thanking the volunteers for evacuating her friend’s elderly mother to hospital. “There were other people like you who helped their family with food and water. But right now, your team got them out, evacuated. May Allah bless you. You guys are angels, Allah’s soldiers. You know, Allah says in the Quran he has soldiers in the heavens and on Earth. You guys are on Earth, working so hard,” she can be heard saying in the video.
Another person who was evacuated was Arab expat, Mustafa Al Hashimi, who broke his ribs and dislocated his shoulder after a fall. In a video, he was seen thanking the volunteers of AKCAF Association in Arabic for rescuing him and helping him get treated when they got to know about his injuries two days after he had a fall.
Prathija Ramesh, a teacher in Dubai living in Al Qassimia, also thanked volunteers for their timely help in rushing her to the hospital. “I was already down with the flu. My situation became worse on Sunday. I was very weak. I managed to do a phone consultation with Dr Sajitha Prasad from Dubai through the Rain Support UAE group. She suggested that I needed to be hospitalised immediately. Our area was under more than knee-deep water. From the same group, volunteer Abilash and his friend took me to the hospital. Had I not got admitted that day, I would have collapsed. I cannot thank the doctor and the volunteers enough for their timely help,” said the teacher who was moved to a hotel by her school group after she got discharged the next day.
Daring volunteers
Naseef Achampat was thanked for being one of the first persons to reach out to the flood-hit Al Majaz area, which eventually turned out to be a makeshift base camp for all relief and rescue operations of Rain Support UAE group.
AKCAF volunteer Shaji Mohammed, who was also the coordinator of the ME4X4 Off-roader club in rescue and relief operations, was particularly thanked for evacuating Shakira Sabil, a nine-month pregnant Indian woman.
Meanwhile, another volunteer, Junaid Amjad Qureshi, was applauded for continuing the relief operations even after getting wounded by a broken glass piece.
Mufadal Fakhruddin Hararwala, another volunteer, has been appreciated for being the “Google map of Sharjah born in the UAE” for helping volunteers who came from different areas even from Dubai, to navigate through flooded streets.
Silent warriors
The efforts of several silent women warriors have also been appreciated by the residents. The Muweilah Ladies Group, World Malayali Council Women’s Forum and Youth Forum in Sharjah, and individual volunteers like Shabana Hassan, a school teacher, have been helping with distribution of cooked and packaged food and hygiene products for affected residents. Nihla Anas, who tirelessly worked on ground in relief operations along with her husband Mohammed Anas even on their wedding anniversary, has also been hugely appreciated.
Najeefullah, a resident of Al Khan, appreciated all the volunteers for their selflessness during the crisis. “They have attended to the needs of people by delivering them food, medicines and other essentials since day one of the floods. Their tireless efforts are praise worthy. May every second, energy and penny they have spent be recognised by the Almighty and may it become a source of guidance, happiness, tranquility and protection for them all in both worlds.”
Groups, doctors appreciated
Volunteers of several community organisations such as Indian Cultural Foundation (ICF), Pravasi India Team, Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), Indian Association Sharjah and United PRO Association have also been appreciated for their on-ground service in the flooded streets.
Residents also thanked several doctors and healthcare groups who came forward to provide voluntary services. Many doctors of different specialties offered tele consultation services while some ventured to visit the flood-hit areas for treating the residents and volunteers.
Meanwhile, Deepu took the opportunity to thank several unknown Sharjah residents who also came forward to support the volunteers. He mentioned an Indian woman working in a salon in Al Majaz, who always helped the volunteers to stock up supplies when they ran out of food materials, a Filipino woman who visited the area every night to feed the cats in the flooded areas, the Emirati owner of a kayak centre who gave blanket permission to use the kayaks from his shop, Akbar and family members, who offered support even after their shops were under water, and Dewa employee Romit who always arranged tea for the volunteers.
