8/19/2018
Hi All,
As most of you are aware my home state Kerala is going through one of the most horrifying flood disasters in over a century caused by unusually heavy monsoon rains and opening of 33 dams in the state. 350 people have been confirmed dead, 750,000 are living in 2000 relief camps displaced by landslides and floods and a lot of people are reported missing.
As a Non-Resident Indian, it is devastating to see the destruction, but also very heartening to listen to the positive stories coming in. The last few days Indian Army, Indian Navy, Kerala Police and Fire Force, NDRF and grass roots volunteers all over Kerala and outside have been united to provide relief to all those who are affected. It is very encouraging to watch social media platforms used effectively to co-ordinate rescue operations, especially calling attention to flooded areas which were initially under-reported and thereby saving thousands of lives.
Now, comes the time of rehabilitation. Even though rescue operations were conducted largely by man power alone, rehabilitation efforts and infrastructure rebuilding require a lot of economic help. No state government can handle a disaster recovery of this magnitude by itself.
This is a plea for help. HELP REBUILD KERALA. We have a saying in Kerala – Pala thulli peruvellam – little drops make an ocean. So please remember, no contribution amount is small, especially when you are donating from a country where currency has a higher value against the Indian Rupee. The amount you spend on one cup of coffee can go a long way.
Here are some ways you can help from all over the world:
Amazon.in: Donate goods for flood affected areas using international credit cards. Now Kerala government kits are available which can be directly delivered to the Collection center in Thiruvananthapuram.
Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund : You can send money through international bank transactions.
Ketto.org: Crowd Sourcing website in India which accepts international payment.
Disclaimer: The links below are not personally vetted by me. I gathered a few I found around the web/social media which looked reliable. Please exercise caution.
- USA:
- FOKANA
- Please check with your local Malayali associations. Most of them are suspending Onam celebrations and are instead fundraising for the flood.
- Canada: Toronto Malayali Samajam
- Europe: Kerala Flood Relief Fund Europe
- Singapore:
- UK:
- Australia:
- Sweden: Göteborg Kerala Flood Relief Fund
- New Zealand: Fundraising from NZ for flood relief
- Denmark: Kerala Under flood
- Ireland: Kerala flood fund