New Delhi, Aug 20 - The government Thursday set up a Rs.1.6 crore (Rs.16 million) fund for overseas Indian citizens in 18 countries who might find themselves in distress.

The decision to create the India Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) was taken at a cabinet meting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters.

Under this, Indian missions in seven countries -- Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Malaysia -- would annually be provided Rs.15 lakh each 'to meet contingency expenditure incurred by them for carrying out various welfare activities for overseas Indian citizens who are in distress, Soni said.

Missions in 11 other countries -- Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand, the Maldives and Iraq -- will annually get Rs.500,000 each.