United State of Emirates and Qatar were a few of the countries which had extended its help to India to help the nation recuperate after the damage caused in the Kerala floods. However, India has refused to accept any help from any nation. This decision has drawn heavy criticism from the Kerela. Till this date India has accepted, foreign aid during times of natural disasters during the Uttarkashi earthquake, Latur earthquake, Gujarat earthquake, Bengal cyclone and Bihar floods. However, this time the nation is sticking to the policy of self-dependancy and not accepting aid from any country.
“The government of India deeply appreciates offers from several countries, including from foreign governments, to assist in relief and rehabilitation efforts after the tragic floods in Kerala. In line with the existing policy, the government is committed to meeting the requirements for relief and rehabilitation through domestic efforts.” spoke an official of the Ministry of External Affairs.
The state’s finance minister, Thomas Isaac, wrote on Twitter that the ‘central government should compensate’ the state of Kerela for refusing foreign aid. He also said that the UAE government ‘voluntarily’ offered money but the central government declined it, saying it’s “below our dignity to accept foreign aid.”
Earlier this week, the United Arab Emirates had offered $100 million aid while Qatar offered $5 million. Many people from Kerala live and work in the Gulf region and hence this initiative was taken up by the governments of both the countries. Other countries, including Thailand and the Maldives, also offered to chip in. India’s policy to refuse international funds put in place following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. This step was necessary to show that India is capable of dealing with natural disasters in a self-sufficient fashion.
The southern region of India has been ravaged over the past two weeks, leaving over 220 people dead and a huge number of people displaced. It has suffered damages to the around 21,000 crores, including over 10,000 kilometers of roadways were destroyed. The government estimated a huge number of housings to have been damaged and hectares of crops lost with one of its three international airports inundated.