The last few days have been the busiest period ever in the five-year history of the Gozo Branch of the Friends of Australia Association (F.O.A.A.G.).

Many Gozitans who have relatives living in the flood-stricken State of Queenland requested assistance from F.O.A.A.G. to contact their relatives there. These relatives are people who either evacuated their homes or lost all their possessions and could not be contacted by their Gozitan relatives.

F.O.A.A.G. has received more than 200 calls from Gozitans for assistance to contact their relatives and four Gozitan families who lost all their possessions intend to relocate to other Australian States or to Gozo.

F.O.A.A.G. have therefore decided to establish a hotline – 99427633 or via e-mail to friendsofaustraliagozo@onvol.net to assist Gozitans who have relatives who so far could not be reached through usual or normal channels. The hotline will be open from 6am to midnight every day and will be manned by our volunteers.

Before using this hotline please follow these important steps:

Keep more frequent contact with your relatives living in flood-stricken State of Queensland;

Attempt to contact your relative(s) through the usual channels; call, e-mail, webcam, by mobile, etc.;

If unsuccessful after several times, attempt to contact a neighbour or another relative common to both to see if they heard from them;

Following all these attempts then you can call the hotline or e-mail to file your case(s);

Continue to try using the usual channels of communications and if you manage to contact them please do inform F.O.A.A.G. of your successful attempt.

What can F.O.A.A.G. do for you?

Once you file a case in full confidentiality with F.O.A.A.G. has a number of ways in locating your lost relatives:

(1) F.O.A.A.G. members in other states will attempt to contact your lost relative(s) through the usual channels you use and other channels they can identify or deem as necessary;

(2) Contact their key strategic contacts in the State of Queensland who are in constant contact with assembly points and refuge buildings identified by the Queensland State Government;

(3) List of Gozitan and Maltese doctors and solicitors practicing medicine and law respectively, in Queensland;

(4) Through a number of Gozitan community leaders throughout the State of Queensland; and,

(5) By making use of the address list of Gozitans and Maltese living the areas affected for any news or request them to do a ‘drive-by check’ if possible.

F.O.A.A.G. appeal to the Gozitan public to make good use of this hotline and avoid any unnecessary calls.

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