Dubai: The second round of the ‘Tarahum for Gaza’ campaign, launched in the UAE last week, got off to a brisk start in Dubai this morning, with volunteers pouring in at the Qalaat Alremaal Events Hall to offer their services.
The first round of the campaign held in Abu Dhabi last week elicited an massive response too, with 13,000 boxes of relief material being put together by over 4,500 volunteers. The relief is meant for Palestinians affected by the war in the Gaza Strip, in line with the UAE’s humanitarian efforts.
Today’s campaign, taking place between 9am and 2pm is being overseen by Dubai Cares. It is expected to generate thousands of more relief packages with the support of volunteers.
Abdalla Al Shehhi, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Cares, told Gulf News, “The response to the campaign has been overwhelming. Registrations closed shortly after we announced the initiative itself as there were so many who responded."
He said, "Since morning, thousands of people have showed up to take part in this campaign. The purpose of the UAE-wide campaign is to ensure essential relief supplies to the Palestinians impacted by the war. The supplies include food stuffs and items for women and children. We have 20 relief and humanitarian institutions participating in the campaign. Many public and private organisations are also taking part along with the community.”
The volunteers, who began to stream in well before 9am, were only too ready to lend their helping hand.
Nadim El Koussa, a 31-year-old Lebanese engineer and volunteer from Dubai, told Gulf News said he is an active volunteer with Dubai Cares and takes part in many of its initiatives within and outside the UAE.
"Today, I was at the food station to provide assistance in preparing the boxes and restocking the supplies to ensure other volunteers had enough material to fill up the packages,” he said.
Another volunteer Khoula Ali Abdulrahman Ali Alshehhi, a coworker at Medcare Hospitals & Clinics in the UAE, said, “Contributing to UAE’s effort to pack food and health supplies for disaster victims affected by the war in Gaza has been a profoundly impactful experience. It’s a humbling reminder of the power of collective action and compassion. Working alongside dedicated volunteers, we came together to provide vital aid to those in need. The sense of unity and purpose was inspiring, and it reaffirmed my belief in the importance of humanitarian efforts.”
Next rounds
Two more rounds of the ‘Tarahum for Gaza’ campaign will take place tomorrow, October 22, in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Overseen by the Emirates Red Crescent Authority, the Abu Dhabi event will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 9am to 2pm. The Sharjah campaign will be held at the Expo Center Sharjah from 9am to 2pm under the supervision of the Sharjah Charitable Society.
The campaign is being supervised by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with Emirates Red Crescent Authority and the World Food Programme, and in coordination with the Ministry of Community Development. As many as 20 relief and humanitarian institutions are participating in the drive.
