Collection of relief goods in full swing

The collection of relief goods for tsunami victims is in full swing all over the UAE.

Dubai Humanitarian City and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) in Dubai have responded rapidly to the devastation caused by the tsunami.

"By Friday night our team had mobilised some 15 tonnes of clothes as well as food and blankets. We also collected necessary medicines and items such as food, tents and safe drinking water as well as funds for on-site relief," Saeed Bin Suloom, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Humanitarian City said.

Bin Suloom added a 40-foot container of clothes had been sponsored by SANA Fashions. Another 40-foot container of bottled water was supplied by Venu Gopal. Martinair provided a free airlift of cargo to Sri Lanka. Dubai Humanitarian City and IAHV have also arranged free delivery of one tonne each of free cargo to Bangkok, Jakarta and Chennai.

There is a pressing need for monetary contributions, all contributions will be channelled through Dubai Humanitarian City. For those wanting to make monetary contributions online, this can be done at www.iahv.org. For those wanting to contribute clothes, food or other necessities, there are several collection centres around the city. There is one collection centre in Ajman, two in Sharjah, three each in Al Ghusais, Deira and Karama and two each in Bur Dubai and Jumeirah and one each in The Meadows and Jebel Ali.

"We require funding in cash or cheque payments to be made to The International Association for Human Values, Tsunami Relief Fund or directly to the International Association for Human Values, Tsunami Relief fund account at ABN-AMRO No. 22726217.

"The scale of the disaster is unprecedented in recent history and while we mourn the loss of human life at such a vast scale, it is our duty to provide relief and support to those who have survived this terrible event and need our help to recover and rebuild their lives," Bin Suloom said.

"We are working towards dispatching at least another 100 tonnes of relief material to India and Sri Lanka over the next few days," Prabhakar Rao, Chief Operations Officer of IAHV in Dubai said.

Rao said as soon as reports about the event reached them the team started monitoring the extent of the disaster. Another team began to mobilise the collection of relief materials.

"We identified the geographical areas that needed the most urgent relief as the coastal region near the southern Indian city of Chennai and the eastern coast in Sri Lanka," he said.

Sharjah International Airport is providing medical as well as other support to victims en route at Sharjah International Airport. Nearly 880 tourists have travelled via Sharjah already, one passenger who was seriously injured was taken off the plane and admitted to Al Qassimi Hospital. The German Consulate, government departments in Sharjah, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Interior have all joined forces to help the shocked tourists.

Dubai Islamic Centre held a meeting with various organisations to launch joint relief work. The centre has also received permission from Emirates to deliver relief materials to India for free. A Tsunami Relief Committee has been formed. The relief fund will go through the Shaikh Mohammad Humanitarian Centre or the Al Maktoum Foundation in Dubai.

The Dubai office of Malaysian Airlines is collecting donations including sheets and non-perishable food items.

"We have made arrangements with reputed institutions to coordinate the collection drive," said Dato Tuan Ebrahim, Regional General Manager, Middle East and Africa.

The Dubai office will collect all relief materials to be passed over to the authorities. Malaysia Airlines has also launched a donation drive among its 21,000 staff worldwide.

The carrier's cargo division, MASkargo, will provide complimentary freight transportation on its global network for medical and charity supplies to be sent to the affected areas.

The national airline of Malaysia has also activated several relief initiatives in cooperation with the Malaysian government.

MASkargo is also providing logistic support for transportation of medical and relief supplies for tsunami victims in Perak, Kedah and Penang either by air or using trucks operated by its subsidiary, Pengangkutan Kargo Udara MAS Sdn Bhd (PKUM).

Members of the public who wish to participate or enquire further can contact Malaysia Airlines' 24-hour number +603 85252140/1 or via email on sales@dubaimh.ae.

The Central Board of Secondary Education Schools (CBSE) has formed a CBSE-Tsunami Victims Relief Fund.