Sandy cost Yemenis in USA over $17.5 mln
The Source: Mukalla/Hadramoutinfo/Saba.net - 11/11/2012
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The Super storm "Sandy" has cost Yemeni expatriates in the United States initially over $17.5 million, Minister of Expatriate Affaires said Sunday.
According to a report of the Yemeni community in the USA, 147 houses, enterprises and mosques belong to Yemenis in New York have been affected by the storm, Mujahed al-Quhali said in a press conference held in Sana'a.
New York - besides New Jersey - was the most effected state of 15 others in the USA east coast, which was hit early in November by one of the strongest storms ever in the USA history. It claimed the lives of over 50 people, left millions of houses and enterprises out of power, streets flooded and houses burned.
According to the minister's statement after the storm, none of the Yemeni community in the USA was harmed.
The report would be submitted to the Supreme Council of Expatriates, which is a mini government - chaired by the Prime Minister - interested in the Yemeni expatriates' affaires, al-Quhali said.
Concerning the expatriates in Syria, the Minister said that the government had decided to help any Yemeni living in Syria wants to return home, adding that most of the expatriates are students in Syrian universities.
On the other hand, al-Quhali said that the Ministry is to establish a database of all Yemeni expatriates worldwide and will create a new mechanism to send Yemeni labors abroad to be exposed soon.
He indicated to the cabinet's decision to revoke the illegal fees taken from the expatriates, reached YR 17 billion per year, calling on them to refuse to pay any illegitimate fee.
He hailed the role the Yemeni expatriates play that help to step up the country's economy, stressing that the expatriates' money transfers during the last year crisis was the reason that the Yemeni currency did not collapse.
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