Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], February 28 (ANI): NORKA ROOTS a nodal agency for all matters concerning collaboration with the Government of Kerala to address grievances of Non resident Keralites, said it has established a dedicated 24x7 help desk to assist Malayali communities in West Asia following what he described as an 'unprecedented war situation' in the Middle East.

The move comes amid escalating hostilities in the region, widespread airspace closures, and suspension of flights by major airlines.

Ajith Kolassery, the Chief Executive Officer of NORKA Roots, said a large Malayali diaspora resides in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as well as in Israel.

'The news regarding the unprecedented war situation is coming from the Middle East. A lot of Malayali diaspora are in the GCC as well as in Israel also, a sizable number of Malayalis are there. So we have already set up a special help desk for the queries and for supporting and facilitating them,' he told ANI.

He added that NORKA is issuing travel advisories and facilitating support through established Malayali diaspora networks.

'NORKA is ready to support and extend any possible help for our diaspora in the Gulf,' Kolassery said.

Speaking to ANI about directions from the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's Office, he confirmed that the initiative was launched following instructions.

'I have received a direction from the CM's office to start a NORKA help desk exclusively for the Malayali communities in the war-affected areas in West Asia. So we started a help desk; it's a 24x7 facility with international toll-free facilities available,' he stated.

On the standard operating procedure (SOP) followed during crises, Kolassery said NORKA works in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs.

'Whenever a contingency arises, NORKA usually sets up a call center and closely works with the Ministry for repatriation. We collect data through a registry and share it with the Ministry of External Affairs. We also coordinate with our diaspora networks in the destination countries to extend support,' he explained.

While no fresh communication has been received from the Ministry, Kolassery noted that a travel advisory issued last week was circulated through NORKA's social media channels.

The developments come amid a sharp escalation in West Asia after joint military strikes by Israel and the United States on Iran, leading to retaliatory actions and closure of airspace in Iran, Israel and Iraq.

With airlines such as Air India and IndiGo suspending flights, Kolassery acknowledged the gravity of the crisis. 'Now the connection is already broken with the Middle East because all the airlines have suspended their flights. That's the crisis we are facing,' he added. (ANI)