VPS Group donates Rs 11 crore for Turkey-Syria earthquake victims

Kochi: UAE-based Kerala entrepreneur Shamsheer Vayalil has donated Rs 11 crore for relief efforts in Turkey and Syria which were affected by a mass earthquake last week.

The fund will be used to relocate those who have lost their homes and rehabilitate victims and families, the VPS Group, owned by Vayalil, said.

Vayalil, who is the founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings, said the aid has been handed over to the Emirates Red Crescent that is helping with relief efforts in the region.

"The fund will be used to support rescue efforts by providing medicine and other supplies, relocating those who have lost their homes, and rehabilitating victims and their families," the VPS group, which owns the super-specialty VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi, said in a release.

Thousands were displaced after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the region on February 6, killing more than 34,000 people.

"This donation is part of our ongoing efforts to provide assistance to the relief work. My heart goes out to all affected by the devastating earthquake, and I hope this contribution will support their needs," Vayalil, who is also a known philanthropist said.

Vayalil and his Company had earlier also assisted communities during natural disasters through several notable initiatives.