Govt appeals to Gulf war victims to claim compensation by Aug 20

New Delhi, July 19 (UNI) The government today asked about 6500 Indian nationals to get in touch with the External Affairs Ministry by August 20 to claim their compensation from the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) for having suffered losses in the 1991 Iraq-Kuwait war.

So far nearly one lakh Indians had been paid an amount of about one billion US dollars commission by the UNCC. However, 6500 Indians could not be traced as they had changed their residences and therefore, could not be paid compensation.

Ms Sarita Bali, Joint Secretary, (Kuwait Cell) in the External Affairs Ministry said the last date for locating these missing 6500 people is September 30 after which their claims would lapse.

''Keeping in view the minimum time required by banks to secure funds from the UNCC, the claimants are advised to ensure that their letters intimating their new addresses must reach the Ministry by August 20 at the latest,'' she said.

The UN Security Council had established in 1992 a special compensation commission called the UNCC to provide compensation to expatriate nationals of several countries who suffered injuries or losses during the Iraq-Kuwait war in 1991.

Ms Bali said the modest compensation, amounting to approximately 20 million US Dollars, tahat had been approved by the UNCC would be invaluable for their re-settlement in India or elsewhere.

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