A 24-hour special helpline set up by NORKA Roots on the direction of the Chief Minister's Office received 541 calls from Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) and their families till 6 pm on Sunday, as the tension in the Middle East continues to rise.

Of the total calls, 188 came from abroad, while 353 originated from within India. Of the overseas callers, 78 were from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The feedback received through the helpline was reviewed at a meeting held at the NORKA Centre in Thycaud under the leadership of NORKA Department Secretary T V Anupama and NORKA Roots Chief Executive Officer Ajith Kolassery.

Country-wise breakup:

• India – 353
• UAE – 78
• Qatar – 49
• Bahrain – 39
• Kuwait – 12
• Oman – 5
• Saudi Arabia – 3
• UK – 2
• Total – 541

Emergency assistance in Bahrain, UAE
Several expatriates in Bahrain contacted NORKA Roots seeking urgent assistance, including access to medicines. Necessary support was extended with the help of members of the Loka Kerala Sabha. Assistance was also provided to those who had lost passports and other documents to help them obtain duplicates.

With the Bahrain government opening shelters, steps have been taken to provide related information to expatriates. A special help group comprising NORKA representatives and Loka Kerala Sabha members has been formed in Bahrain to coordinate relief efforts.

In the UAE, Malayali organisations and Loka Kerala Sabha members provided emergency support to expatriates stranded due to travel disruptions and unable to proceed to other destinations.

NORKA said that coordination is continuing with the Central government, the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions in the affected countries, Loka Kerala Sabha members and expatriate organisations.

Expatriates residing in conflict-affected regions have been advised to rely only on official sources for updates. Resident Commissioner Puneet Kumar and Additional Resident Commissioner Dr Aswathi Sreenivas are supervising the operations. Controller A S Harikumar, Liaison Officer Rahul K Jaiswar and Norka Development Officer J Shajimon are coordinating the functioning of the facility.

For emergency assistance, NORKA Roots can be contacted at:

• +91-8802012345 (International missed call service)
• 1800-425-3939 (Toll-free number within India)

Indian nationals in the affected countries may also contact the helplines issued by the respective Indian missions:

• Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi: 800-46342 (toll-free); WhatsApp: +971543090571
• Embassy of India, Kuwait: +96565501946
• Embassy of India, Doha, Qatar: +974-55647502
• Embassy of India, Bahrain: 0097339418071