Kerala Floods: After UAE, Qatar Lends Helping Hand With $5 Million for God's Own Country

New Delhi: The devastating floods in Kerala have not been a cause of concern for India, but for several West Asian countries as well. After the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced financial help citing contribution of Kerala residents in country's 'success story', Qatar has now declared an assistance of $5 million for the flood-hit people.

Extending condolences to the family of the deceased, Qatar Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani on Sunday tweeted that Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has allocated 5 million dollars for the relief of victims of floods.

The murderous monsoon in Kerala has killed 357 since August 8, hitting normal life in the state.

On Saturday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) prime minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had come out in support for deluge-hit Kerala and ordered the formation of an emergency committee to provide relief to the victims.

In a series of tweets in English as well as in Malayalam and Arabic, he said, "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.”

Sheikh Al Maktoum, who is also the vice president of UAE, said that the country 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," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the UAE ruler for extending support for Kerala. "A big thanks to @hhshkmohd for his gracious offer to support people of Kerala during this difficult time. His concern reflects the special ties between governments and people of India and UAE," PM Modi tweeted.

Malayalis are the largest expatriate community in the west Asian countries, which constitutes a sizeable percent of the Indian community there.