THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Red Crescent of Qatar will soon set up shop in Kerala. The memorandum regarding the same was signed between the Red Crescent, Qatar, and the National Red Cross Society of India.
Sunil C Kurien, vice-chairman of Kerala Red Cross Society, while speaking to Express said, “Yes, the Qatar Red Crescent will soon have its office in the state capital. We have started searching for a suitable place for their office premises. As the Red Crescent will have diplomatic status, there are some more official papers to be cleared before the final date on the start of the office is announced.”
Qatar Red Crescent will be providing relief worth `36 crore and this is primarily aimed at reconstruction of homes destroyed during floods. When asked as to how the beneficiaries are selected, Chempazhanthi Anil, general secretary, Red Cross Society, Kerala, said, “We will collect the details of the beneficiaries from the local bodies and also have our own survey to select the beneficiaries.”
A team of officials from the Qatar Red Crescent will be reaching the state in December to finalise the intricacies regarding the selection of beneficiaries as well as the finalising of the office in the state capital.
According to Sunil, “We have been working round-the-clock during the floods and the International Red Cross Society had provided us with a helicopter service for providing relief materials in flood-affected areas of Idukki, Kottayam and Wayanad districts.” Officials of the Canadian Red Cross Society had also come to the state and conducted a ground-level study on the needs and necessities of the flood-affected people. “The team from Canadian Red Cross Society is primarily looking for flood relief at Kottayam district and the main focus is on building toilets,” said Sunil.
“The Canadian assistance will be around Rs 4.5 crore and it is mainly meant for the construction of toilets in Kottayam district,” Anil said. “The Singapore Red Cross will be signing a MoU soon for providing ambulance services in Idukki district,” he added.