Today's Edition
HALA AL KHAYYAT (ABU DHABI) - The “Tarahum - for Gaza”, or “Compassion - for Gaza”, campaign successfully prepared 20,000 relief baskets and collected 450 tonnes of relief materials during its recent volunteering events held in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai on Sunday, witnessing the participation of around 5,000 volunteers across all three events.
The events were held at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), at the Festival Arena in Dubai, in cooperation with Dubai Cares, and at the Al Bayt Mitwahid Center in Sharjah, in cooperation with the Sharjah Charity International and the Big Heart Foundation.
The campaign is part of the country’s efforts to help alleviate the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, particularly for the most vulnerable groups, such as women, and in particular, the over one million children who make up about half of the Gazan population.
Through the campaign’s seven community events since its launch on October 15, more than 17,000 volunteers have prepared 58,000 relief baskets that varied between food baskets and those designated for children, women, and mothers.
The campaign has collected 1,250 tonnes of food, hygiene and medical relief materials since its inception. Sunday’s event in Abu Dhabi, which started in the early morning hours at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, saw wide participation from volunteers, including children and the elderly, citizens and residents, as well as people of determination who participated in the community campaign by preparing parcels of food, health supplies, and general hygiene materials.
The materials are packaged into parcels and sent into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing, enhancing international efforts to provide humanitarian support to the Palestinian people. On Sunday, about 3,000 volunteers, representing various spectrums of society, participated in packaging 10,000 relief baskets, expressing their solidarity with Palestinian families and children affected by the crisis.
Rashid Mubarak Al Mansouri, Deputy Secretary-General of the Local Affairs Sector at the ERC, confirmed in statements to the press that the campaign will continue in the coming weeks with further community volunteer events to prepare in-kind aid for dispatch.
Al Mansouri called on philanthropists in the country to continue financial donations, which allow for necessary supplies, especially medicine and medical supplies, to be sent to the residents of the Gaza Strip. And he pointed out that the European medical team, which is now in Gaza, after inventorying medical needs, handed them over to United Nations organisations that informed the supporting countries of the needs of the Gaza Strip for medicines and medical needs.
Al Mansouri said that the third week of the campaign has seen continued support from philanthropists and volunteers, noting that 17,000 people have volunteered with the campaign and around 60,000 parcels have been prepared so far.
A significant quantity of aid has reached the Gaza Strip after it was transferred through Al-Arish Airport and entered the Gaza Strip through the World Food Programme. Al Mansouri praised the cooperation of all humanitarian and charitable institutions as well as philanthropists, who contributed to the campaign through organising community events and making financial and in-kind donations.
He also thanked the volunteers who came forward to help, noting that their efforts are clear evidence of their love for humanity and generosity. “The people of the UAE, with its various components, were brought up on principles of goodness and humanity. Wherever a disaster occurs anywhere in the world, you will find the Emirati people contributing to alleviate the suffering of those affected,” Al Mansouri said.
The “Tarahum - for Gaza” campaign, which is supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Ministry of Community Development, and in cooperation with the ERC and the World Food Programme, and with the participation of 20 charitable and humanitarian institutions, is an effort to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian children and the families affected by the ongoing war, and to lift the suffering of the enclave’s most vulnerable residents.
Accredited charitable and humanitarian institutions in the UAE continue to receive in-kind and financial donations as part of the campaign. The ERC renewed its call for citizens and residents in the country to participate widely in the community initiative, embodying the humanitarian values of the UAE. Those wishing to volunteer can register to participate through the UAE’s official volunteer platforms.
