UAE 'rain heroes' launch project to help rehome families displaced by Kerala landslide

Dubai: A few months ago, they joined hands to help UAE residents hit by the heaviest rainfall that led to flooded streets in the country. Now, some UAE rain heroes from India have united once again to support their compatriots who have become victims of the devastating landslides and subsequent floods in Kerala.

Two landslides triggered by intense rainfall in Wayanad district of the south Indian state have left more than 350 dead. While around 1,500 survivors were rescued, more than 200 people were still missing as of Saturday evening, according to local media reports. According to the reports, more than 500 injured residents were admitted to hospitals, of whom more than 200 have been discharged. The landslides have also rendered thousands homeless.

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday announced that a township will be established in a secure area to rehabilitate those displaced by the catastrophic landslides. However, many of the homeless are still in various relief camps.

It is in this context that some volunteers of the Rain Support UAE WhatsApp group launched the “Support Wayanad: Relocate Homeless” project. A website with the name Support Wayanad was unveiled in Dubai on Saturday to coordinate the temporary relocation of the landslide victims living in relief camps.

“Through this website, Indian expats and local residents in Kerala can provide details of their vacant homes, resorts, outhouses and other properties where they can temporarily accommodate these people till they get their permanent houses,” Muneer Al Wafaa, who initiated the project, told Gulf News.

According to him, around 9,000 people are currently in relief camps. “There are thousands of expats’ houses lying empty. Many resorts and homestay facilities owned by expats and local residents are also vacant in many places as their business is down due to the heavy rains in the state. At least 10 per cent of all these will be enough to help these homeless people tide over this crisis. People, who live in big houses with extra space, are also welcome to accommodate them,” said Muneer, whose brainchild was the Rain Support UAE group that united around 6,000 residents for flood-relief volunteering activities in the UAE.

Government supervision

He said the Support Wayanad project will be executed under direct supervision of the Kerala state government.

“We have received confirmation from the Chief Minister’s Office regarding this. The data received on the website would be made available only to government agencies. They will decide which family will be rehomed in which house. Only those who have registered for the programme through the government bodies will be eligible to make use of this facility,” Muneer explained.

Philanthropists willing to rehome the landslide victims can provide details of their vacant properties through the website. They can also mention how many people can be accommodated and for how long.

The volunteers stated that they are offering the option to house people for periods ranging from one to six months, with the possibility of extension if needed, depending on when the permanent homes become available.

No breach of data

Muneer said his IT company would ensure that there is no breach of data while they would leave it to the government to ensure that rehomed victims comply with the terms and conditions of staying in and leaving the temporarily occupied houses. “We will make the best use of technology and coordinate with NGOs based in Kerala for background checks,” he added.

Faizal Bin Muhammed, another rain hero who is helping with the project, said the project also aims to ease the mental trauma of the homeless victims. “Most of them are numb with the grief of losing their loved ones and properties. A relocation from the area will help ease their mental trauma.”

Another rain volunteer associated with the project, Amal Gireesh, pointed out that nobody is making any financial profit out of the project. “Our aim is to help coordinate with the sponsors and beneficiaries under the government’s supervision,” he said.

AKCAF pledges 10 houses

Meanwhile, another coordinator, Deepu AS, who is also the general-secretary of AKCAF Association, said the apex body of alumni groups of over 100 colleges from Kerala living in the UAE, has pledged to build 10 houses for the victims.

“We are looking into the feasibility of constructing the houses for them. This is in addition to endorsing the Support Wayanad project through our 80,000-strong members,” he said.

Several UAE-based Indian business groups have pledged millions of dirhams to support relief and rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad. Some have also pledged to build houses. The deceased and the displaced include the relatives and friends of some Keralite expats from Wayanad. Of the 3.5 million Indian expats living in the UAE, an estimated one million hail from Kerala.

The Kerala Chief Minister has appealed to Malayali expats to help restore normalcy, rebuild affected areas and support those impacted by contributing to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

Help for Wayanad cell

Meanwhile, the Government of Kerala has set up a special cell called “Help for Wayanad” to coordinate relief and rehabilitation efforts in the areas affected by the huge disaster, WAM reported.

The “Help for Wayanad” cell will bring together worldwide offers from Indians abroad to donate land for rehabilitation of displaced people, promises to build relief housing and financial contributions to the State Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

The new cell has created an email account with the address letushelpwayanad@gmail.com inviting suggestions, especially from overseas Indians for relief and rehabilitation in Wayanad.