affected people, especially expatriates, are bitterly complaining about the lack of required aid even though officials from the concerned government agencies maintain that they were doing whatever was possible. “The government needs to put more efforts to help the needy people because people are not receiving proper help from the authorities,” said Saleh Zabaali, a worker in the Ministry of Agriculture and victim of the flood disaster in Quwaizah said. “We want to bring this to the attention of philanthropists. People need secure place to live, food and proper means of transport after their properties and vehicles were completely damaged by the floods,” Zabaali said. There has been no electricity in some areas and a ghostly silence encompasses the whole area, he said. “The government can do much more than what has been done. There is only one donation center for almost 20,000. People are standing in queues for long hours for the little help the charities offer,” he said. There are several families who didn't get any help from the government because of the red tape, residents here allege. “How can we produce papers when everything we had has been swept away,” a resident here bemoans. He also complained that after Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, visited the area recently, municipality staff turned a blind eye to all their problems. “We want the municipality to clean the neighborhood, bring back clean water and do more which is required because what they are doing is not enough,” he said. Some expatriates even allege discrimination in handing out the relief materials. “When any foreigner goes to the authorities they are telling him to come back later. It is despite King Abdullah's directives to provide succor to all those affected,” said Mohammed Hanif a Bangladeshi national in Quwaizah. “In my building the first floor was filled with water, there was no electricity, no food and water. I got water and electricity after 11 days and during that period I didn't get any help and support from the authorities. I lost my car, my workshop was completely destroyed, a few things left at home undamaged. I have survived till now with whatever I had saved for a rainy day and now even that is finished,” he said. He also complained that no one from the Bangladeshi consulate has come to see the disaster and the condition of their nationals. “I didn't see any official from any consulate come to help their citizens,” he said. Saudi Gazette contacted different consulates and found out that only Indian consulate has set up relief camps with the cooperation of different welfare associations in the affected areas. “From the very next day our people went to the flood affected areas and set up relief camps and almost every day an official is visiting the camps and places. There are three relief camps in the area to help the distressed people and we also supplied the basic necessities of life,” said K. K. Vijyan, Welfare Consul at the Indian consulate. He said most of the affected people were from the southern state of Kerala. Nasrullah Khan, Pakistani Welfare Consul, said although they did not set any relief camp, the consulate people and community welfare officials have visited the affected areas twice. “We didn't find any Pakistani national needing help,” he said. Aftab Hussain, Bangladeshi Welfare Consul, also said that their legal officials and consulate general visited the areas once but their visits concentrated on the Civil Defense office. He said any Bangladeshi national needing help can contact the officials in the consulate on 6878465/133, 136, 135 or send a fax with details to the consulate on 6875924.
