UAE provides aid to flood victims in Malaysia

Malaysia – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed its condolences to the victims and families affected by the massive floods in Malaysia.

The UAE Foreign Ministry, in a statement, also expressed solidarity with the government and the people of Malaysia in facing the flood disaster.

According to a report by the Emirates news agency (WAM), the Gulf state will send a team of volunteers from the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) to review the situation and identify the needs of the affected victims.

The team will also deliver humanitarian aid in the form of basic necessities, food packages and medicines.

Secretary-General of the ERC, Dr Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, said the UAE government through the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is always ready to extend humanitarian assistance at regional and international levels.

“The President of the UAE Red Crescent Society, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is also honoured to extend immediate humanitarian assistance to save lives and preserve the welfare of all human beings,” he added.

The massive floods that hit the country since last Saturday so far have claimed 27 lives — twenty of them in Selangor and seven in Pahang.

Floods were also reported in Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Terengganu, Kelantan and Perak following continuous heavy rains, causing thousands of residents to be evacuated while many road users were stranded.

The government will contribute RM10,000 to the next-of-kin of each victim who died in the current floods that hit the country.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he would get the list of the names of those killed from the district disaster centre to ensure prompt delivery of the contribution to the affected next-of-kin.

“We are very sympathetic and saddened by what happened and we will provide some contribution…we will channel through the district office, which will hand it over to the next-of-kin of the victim concerned. “It is learnt that the Pahang government is also providing RM5,000 to the next-of-kin of each victim killed in the floods,” he told a press conference after visiting the flood victims at the relief centre (PPS) at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Piatus here today.