The Indian consulate in Jeddah has again appealed to the local Indian community to help thousands of distressed workers meet the July 3 deadline to sort out their documentation. The appeal comes after volunteers failed to turn up to help consulate officials in the city.

This is in sharp contrast to the many Indian volunteers who have been turning up in other cities to help their fellow citizens.

Many have been astonished by the poor support in Jeddah despite the city's many Indian community organizations and educated leaders.

Thousands of poor and illiterate workers in Jeddah have been struggling on a daily basis to fill in forms and access and read information available on the Indian Embassy's website.

Last month, Indian Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai called a meeting with community leaders, briefed them on the process and urged them to help out. There was a lukewarm response.

With workers inundating the consulate and the biometric section at the deportation center, the consul general called a community meeting again on Thursday to seek volunteers.

Representatives of several organizations at the meeting assured Kidwai they would send volunteers to help.

Meanwhile, Indian diplomatic and consulate staff are now working 12 to 14 hours a day to help process the documentation of their fellow nationals. There are staff shortages at all the missions.

In Riyadh, the Indian community has been helping officials fill out workers' forms at the Indian Embassy in the Diplomatic Quarter.

Some organizations have been distributing cold water and snacks to people waiting in the long queues at the deportation center in Riyadh.

In Dammam, Indian volunteers from different Indian states are stationed at various field offices and the deportation center. Volunteers have gone out to field offices in Hail, Buraidah, Hassa, Hafr Al-Batin, Madinah, Tabuk, Abha and Taif.

In a press statement, the embassy said yesterday that it will set up mobile helpline counters at Shumeshi Tarheel and Riyadh International Airport starting Saturday. A team of Arabic-speaking officials and volunteers led by a diplomatic officer from the embassy will deputed at the Tarheel and the airport 24/7 to provide assistance to those who approach these offices.

The helpline numbers for Tarheel Indian Embassy team are 0546843866; 0546843894; 0546843836; 0546843746; 0546843903.

The helpline numbers for Airport Indian Embassy team are 0546843922; 0546843919; 0546843734; 0546843750; 0548981774.

This is in addition to the 24/7 helpline currently available at the Embassy of India. These numbers are 011 4884697, 011 4881982, 0501699879, 0501700106, 0501699895, 0501699894.