South African relief aid to donate for Chennai flood victims

A South African global relief aid organisation is ready to donate cash to film industry unions in Chennai to assist those affected by the massive floods which claimed the lives of more than 300 people and left 17 lakh others displaced.
"We received a call from Bollywood film producer-director and TV journalist Prabhu Nepal, son of Kumari Ambigay, the doyen of the Tamil entertainment industry in South Africa, who requested assistance on behalf of the union," Gift of the Givers founder and head Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said.
The organisation wanted to visit Chennai with its medical and relief units but said it would only do so if requested by the Indian government.

"We are overwhelmed by calls from local South Africans who want to make contributions to Gift of the Givers in the interest of the people of Chennai," he said.
Sooliman said that his agency would work with Nepal and the film industry unions by providing cash as required items are cheap and easily available in India.
He said water, staple food, medicines, clothes, building material, utensils and essential items will be purchased in Chennai and distributed.
A number of religious and cultural South-African Indian groups have also started similar efforts to raise funds for the flood victims.
As many as 347 persons have died in Tamil Nadu in various rain-related incidents since October and about 17.64 lakh people were rescued and sheltered in 6605 relief centres across the state.