Nepalese community in the UAE appeals for assistance

Four locations in Dubai to collect relief material for quake victims

With more than eight million people affected by Saturday’s earthquake, the Nepalese community in the UAE is scrambling to provide whatever moral and material support they can offer their compatriots back home.

Yesterday evening, Nepalese community members and business leaders gathered to organise support and relief, which is being coordinated with Red Crescent UAE. Relief supplies are being coordinated by International Humanitarian City Dubai as well as Air Arabia.

“It is difficult to come to terms with scale of devastation and losses that our community is facing, entire villages have been flattened and people have lost whole of their families. Millions are homeless and thousands are injured who need urgent relief and medical aid. We are running from pillar to post to arrange support and gather supplies to be sent to Nepal and we welcome all the support we are receiving,” said Chandra Prasad Sapota, whose office in Deira is one of the collection points for relief material.

A total of five collection points have been established — three in Bur Dubai and two in Deira — and more collection points are being located in Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi.

“We are working to get more storage areas, any member of the community who is willing to come forward and offer their places to collect goods from the it can be forwarded for cargo is most welcome,” added Sapota.

Appealing for help, Dr. Asif Ali Siddiqui, President of Nepalese Business Council Dubai, said: “We are appealing to all communities to come forward and help in this hour need. What is required mainly for millions of homeless people are tents and tarpaulins, blankets as well as vital medical supplies. We request people to donate lightweight blankets and tents which are easy to transport.”