UAE denies Rs 700 crore aid to flood-hit Kerala, says yet to decide on final amount

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday said that it was yet to finalise any specific amount to help the victims of Kerala floods. The clarification from the UAE came amid the row over centre’s denial to accept the reported Rs 700 crore aid to flood-ravaged Kerala.

UAE Ambassador to India Ahmed Albanna said that the country had formed a committee to ensure the funds reach the victims.

“We have set up a national committee for aid to Kerala. The committee will work with the MEA (India’s foreign ministry) and the embassy to ensure the funds reach the needy,” NDTV quoted Albanna as saying.

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“No official announcement on the amount has been made by the UAE government yet,” Albanna added.

On August 18, Vice President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had tweeted that the UAE will offer relief to the people affected due to the flood and formed a committee to start the relief work immediately.

Earlier on August 21, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had tweeted that the UAE will "provide Kerala an assistance of Rs.700 crore. Kerala has a special relationship with UAE, which is a home away from home for Malayalees. We express our gratitude to UAE for their support."

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The Centre, however, maintained that it had not received any formal requests from the UAE to donate money to help the victims of Kerala floods.