Thiruvananthapuram, March 1 A 24-hour special helpdesk set up by NORKA Roots, following the Israel-Iran conflict, has received 541 calls by 6 pm on Sunday, officials said.
Of the total calls received by evening, 188 were from abroad and 353 from within the country, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement.
According to the figures shared by the CMO, the calls received at the helpdesk included 353 from India, 78 from the UAE, 49 from Qatar, 39 from Bahrain, 12 from Kuwait, five from Oman, three from Saudi Arabia and two from the UK.
The current situation in the Middle East and the information received through the helpline were reviewed at a meeting held at the Norka Centre here under the aegis of Norka Department Secretary T V Anupama and Norka Roots Chief Executive Officer Ajith Kolassery.
Expatriates from Bahrain have contacted NORKA Roots seeking urgent assistance, including medicines, it said, adding that the required support was extended with the help of members of the Loka Kerala Sabha.
Assistance was also provided to those who lost passports and other documents to obtain duplicates.
Government shelters have been opened in Bahrain and steps have been taken to disseminate the information to expatriates, it said.
A special help group comprising NORKA representatives and Loka Kerala Sabha members has also been formed in Bahrain to coordinate activities.
Emergency assistance was extended, through Malayali organisations and Loka Kerala Sabha members, to expatriates stranded in the UAE due to travel disruptions to other countries, it said.
Coordination is continuing with the central government, the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions in the respective countries, Loka Kerala Sabha members and Pravasi organisations, the statement added.
Non-resident Keralites (NRKs) living in countries witnessing conflict have been advised to follow information from official sources only.
For emergency assistance, the NORKA Roots helpline can be contacted at +91-8802012345 (international missed call) and 1800-425-3939 (toll-free within India).
Meanwhile, a 24-hour control room has also been opened at Kerala House in New Delhi, as per the directions of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The control room can be contacted at 011-23747079, 011-23742320 and +91-9310443880.
The control room operations are being coordinated under the leadership of Resident Commissioner Puneet Kumar and other officials concerned, the statement added.