Odias play good Samaritan to people in need in West Asia

BHIBANESWAR: Amid air strikes in West Asia when flights were cancelled and hotels ran full, a few Odias came to the aid of Indians stranded in Dubai and other cities.

The Odias, all members of International Odia Foundation, formed to reach out to people in distress, helped accommodate a worker, who could not fly out of Dubai due to cancellation of flights.


“He was a blue-collar worker, who after completing his work contract tenure, was set to leave Dubai but could not. We have made arrangements for his accommodation till he is able to fly out,” said Prasanta Meher based in Dubai.

The Odias have founded the organisation to cater to people in need in 20 countries, including seven in West Asia.

Meher also visited an Odia family and a woman travelling from Mumbai to New York, who got stranded in Dubai, in case they required help. “It is very traumatising for people being stranded in a foreign land during a war. I visited them to allay their fears and provide them with whatever help they required,” said Meher. Their flight operator had provided for their stay, he said.

In Kuwait, Biswaranjan Sahoo, an officer with an oil and gas company and member of the foundation, provided food to eight workers for a day after they fled their camps in fear. “I counselled them to return to their accommodation and assured them of help in case of need,” said Sahoo, who is from Puri.

Members of this organisation are also preparing a list of people who want to leave the country. “We shall provide the list to the Indian embassy and help them fly out of the country when flights resume,” said Pratap Nayak, who lives in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.