Residents deliver relief items to 1,040 fire victims in UAE

Ajman - Each worker was given 2kg rice, 1kg lentil, half kg sugar, and 750 to 500 ml cooking oil.

Over 50 residents came together recently to distribute relief supplies to the 1,040 construction workers who were displaced after a fire gutted their accommodation. The men were given a compensation of just Dh250 after their accommodation on the Sharjah-Ajman border was destroyed.
As Khaleej Times reported, no casualties were reported in the incident that happened on August 14 as most of the workers were at work. The workers were moved to alternative labour accommodations in Al Sajja.
According to organisers of the distribution drive, volunteers came forward to distribute supplies to the workers on Friday. "They had lost everything. This was the least we could do," said a volunteer.
The camp was identified in dire need of help by Care2Share UAE, a CSR initiative of Medulla Productions and Consulting LLC, Sharjah. The society and many kind-hearted volunteers then came forward to support the needy with two trucks and 14 cars filled with basic necessities.
Roshni Raimawala, the project manager and co-founder of Care2Share UAE, told Khaleej Times: "One truck was filled with rice, lentils, sugar and cooking oil for the 1,040 workers. Each worker was given 2kg rice, 1kg lentil, half kg sugar, and 750 to 500 ml cooking oil."
The second truck was filled with vegetables, milk (385 ml), 50g biscuits, noodles, flavoured milk and fried snacks.
Ursula Manvatkar, managing director of Medulla and cofounder of Care2Share UAE, added: "One camp that housed 320 of the displaced workers were given clothes and other essential supplies such as bedsheets, pillow covers, shoes, blankets, jackets, travel bags and kitchen items."
More essential supplies such as clothes, bags and bedsheets will also be distributed in the second camp - home to 720 workers - next week. Roshni said: "A total of 30 volunteers came forward on Friday. However, the supplies were collected by 50 individuals and groups.
"For now, I think the workers are okay and are awaiting their salaries, which should arrive in the next five to 10 days."
According to a worker who wished to remain anonymous, the fire broke out in the afternoon. "We were all living in small porta cabins that housed five to 10 workers each," said the Indian worker.
Another worker from Pakistan said: "I was preparing to leave for the holidays on August 20 and had purchased many things for my family. I lost all of that in the fire. These supplies have come as a blessing. Now, I am just waiting for my salary, which usually always arrives on time."
The accommodation facility built of porta cabins had several blocks.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Ajman