Your ultimate guide to all relief policies in place to navigate the floods in Sharjah
With the UAE having witnessed record rainfall last week, the ensuing floods from the storm have left their mark across the entire country.
However, while Abu Dhabi has seemingly recovered with light repercussions and Dubai is on its way to resuming normalcy barring traffic and Metro disturbances – Sharjah has arguably taken the worst hit.
Over a week now since the rains, parts of Sharjah including Al Majar, Qasmia, Abu Shagarah and more continue to see waterlogged roads. Complicating matters further, the waters have also gotten stagnant and contaminated leading to multiple reports of illness and hospitals backed up with patients. According to reports, relief workers and volunteers are also at maximum capacity and starting to get ill too.
Amid it all, however, the UAE and Sharjah governments have been introducing policies and measures to combat the devastating consequences of the floods.
Here are a few to take note of if you’ve been adversely affected by the rains.
For those looking for active help, please reach out to the Social Service Department via WhatsApp on 06 5015161 for help.
Loan repayment relief
The UAE Central Bank (CBUAE) has issued a notice to all banks and insurance companies to allow the deferral of repayment of personal and car loan instalments for customers affected by the repercussions of the recent weather conditions.
The #CentralBankUAE today issued a notice to all banks and insurance companies to allow the deferral of repayment of instalments of personal and car loans for customers affected by the repercussions of the weather condition for a period of six months. The deferral shall be…
— Central Bank of the UAE (@centralbankuae) April 22, 2024
The deferral shall be for six months without imposing additional fees, interest or profits, or otherwise increasing the principal amount of the loan.
CBUAE also confirmed that the damages to vehicles and homes resulting from the recent heavy rains are covered by insurance if there is an insurance policy against loss and damage or what is normally referred to as ‘comprehensive insurance’.
The insurance companies shall be considered responsible for indemnification.
The Central Bank added that the same applies to homes as well – owners of real state, whether homes or buildings, covered by insurance are entitled to have their property repaired from damages caused by the recent rains and weather conditions.
Free destruction certificates for weather-affected vehicles
Sharjah Police has announced that vehicle destruction certificates are now available at no cost for all individuals affected by weather-related damage in Sharjah. These certificates can be obtained through the official channels of Sharjah Police.
The destruction certificates for cars damaged by weather will be available on the ‘Sharjah Police Smart App’ and their website.
Traffic fines dropped
In response to the unprecedented weather conditions witnessed last week, Sharjah Police has announced that all traffic violations during this period will be dropped.
Sharjah City Municipality has confirmed that no fines have been imposed on motorists who violated public parking regulations during the recent extreme weather conditions.
The authority said penalties were not issued for violations such as non-payment of parking fees, occupying multiple spaces or parking in reserved spots. It added that the exemption from parking fines will remain applicable in the rain-affected areas until they return to normal conditions.
Stay safe!
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