His Majesty King Hamad yesterday (August 18) extended a lifeline to the distressed people in the south Indian state of Kerala, which has been hit by the worst floods in a century leaving more than 300 people dead and forcing 223,000 into relief camps.

His Majesty had issued directives to accelerate the provision of support and assistance to India to help the needy in their plight and alleviate the suffering caused by heavy rains and floods that extensively damaged infrastructure and homes in Kerala.

The King has ordered Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HM the King’s Personal Representative for Charity Work and Youth Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Charity Organisation (RCO) that the RCO be in charge of preparing and sending relief materials and providing assistance to affected Indians, reported BNA.
 
The King urged officials to fast-track the provision of aid to the needy.

Shaikh Nasser ordered RCO secretary general Mustafa Al Sayyed to take urgent measures in co-ordination with the ministries of foreign affairs, defence, health and labour and social affairs and to liaise regularly with the Indian embassy in Bahrain and the Indian community from Kerala.

Bahrain’s leadership also sent cables of condolences to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.

Expatriate associations in Bahrain have also joined in solidarity with the victims, cancelling all celebrations of Onam and Eid and launching efforts to collect relief funds, reported Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

More than 200 calls, seeking help or pledging support, were received at a 24-hour help desk launched by the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam at its premises in Segaiya on Thursday.

Indian Ambassador Alok Kumar Sinha also discussed the situation with community leaders and pledged all support in the relief drive, stated the report.

Al Sayyed said that in light of the dire humanitarian disaster caused by the worst floods in Kerala, contacts have been established with several concerned institutions to implement them in line with the humanitarian bonds between Bahrain and the international community and the positive relations between the Kingdom and India.

There is steady coordination between the Royal Charity Organisation, the embassy of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard for appropriate mechanisms and types of emergency assistance urgently required in such critical conditions, he added.

Sinha expressed gratitude for HM the King’s noble initiative and appreciation of the government’s gestures and paid tribute to the humanitarian role of Shaikh Nasser, reported BNA.

He said that Bahrain has always been among the first countries to offer relief and assistance to affected peoples and countries, it added.