Ninety thousand Indians evacuated from war zones, natural disasters abroad in last few years: MEA

Set up in 2009, the Indian Community Welfare Fund is aimed at assisting overseas Indian nationals in times of distress and emergency and stands extended to all Indian missions and posts abroad.

By: PTI | New Delhi | Published: January 20, 2018 9:38 pm

Funds under this Indian Community Welfare Fund can be used to assist only Indian citizens residing in the host country or those in distress while visiting a foreign country. (Representational Image/ Photo:Reuters)

Around 90,000 Indian nationals have been safely brought back from foreign conflict zones, countries affected by natural disasters and other challenging situations in the last few years, a senior MEA official Saturday said. Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs Dnyaneshwar M Mulay, said, the evacuation of these people were carried under the aegis of the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF).

“Our (MEA’s) dictum is pro-people and people-centric policies with a larger motto of ‘Sarvajanhitay, Sarvajansukhaiy’ (benefit for all, welfare for all). And, part of that rubric is ICWF. “We don’t want to see any Indian suffering in distress abroad. And, under the ICWF we have evacuated about 90,000 people in the last few years, and safely brought them back, from various conflict zones, or places hit by natural disasters or other challenging situations,” Mulay said on the sidelines of an event. Set up in 2009, the ICWF is aimed at assisting overseas Indian nationals in times of distress and emergency and stands extended to all Indian missions and posts abroad.