A MASSIVE relief campaign is underway in Bahrain to help Palestinians who have been affected by last month’s Israeli atrocities in Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian cities.
For the first time, a number of charities and humanitarian institutions have come together for a common cause, under the slogan ‘The People of Bahrain Campaign for the Relief of Jerusalem and Gaza’.
The drive is aimed at providing relief to the Palestinian people by way of medical aid, food, funds to rebuild schools destroyed in the Israeli bombings, help students complete their education despite the conditions their country is going through, and shelter for people who have lost their homes.
The associations and institutions taking part in the campaign are Eslah Charity Society’s Kaaf Humanitarian, Bahrain Trust Foundation, the Good Word Society, the Islamic Society, and the Palestine Support Society.
The campaign, which runs until the end of June 2021, has received a massive response from philanthropists all across Bahrain.
According to Kaaf Humanitarian charity works executive officer Shaikh Tariq Al Shaikh, this was the first time that there has been a gathering of a number of civil society institutions and charities under one campaign working towards one goal in the name of the people of Bahrain.
“Thanks to this co-operation, the campaign has been received well by the public, and we have seen the impact it has had through the unparalleled interactions and donations from citizens and residents,” he told the GDN.
“The campaign began by providing urgent relief in terms of providing food, medical and shelter assistance. It soon expanded to preparing for long-term productive development projects that are being worked on to provide sustainability in providing urgent relief and permanent services to the Palestinian people.”
Bahrain Trust Foundation chairwoman of the board of trustees Dr Fatima Al Balooshi called on citizens and residents to exert more effort in spreading the campaign and support it with their donations, which will serve as a beacon of hope to care for the needy and provide them with a decent life.
“Since its launch, the campaign’s revenues have been encouraging and has attracted a lot of interaction among social media influencers on their accounts,” she said.
“In a clear indication of the success of this campaign, it has achieved its goal – to collect the largest amount of donations to provide aid that restores Palestinians’ lives and alleviates their suffering.”
Good Word Society chairman and president of the Arab Volunteering Association Hassan Mohammed Buhazza said Bahrain is often at the forefront of charitable campaigns such as this.
“Bahrain was, and still is, a pioneer in supporting the peoples of the Arab, Islamic and friendly countries,” he said.
He added that the donations would be directed to projects that need it the most, such as medical, food and education.
“There is no doubt that this campaign is a sincere expression of the position of the people of Bahrain in support of our brothers in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip,” said Palestine Support Society chairman Abdel Moneim Al Mir.
Islamic Society director general Ahmed Al Mahmoud said that launching this campaign under its slogan is an affirmation of the Bahraini people’s support for their Palestinian brothers, who have suffered horribly at the hands of the Israelis.
“With increasing numbers of injured and wounded, especially children and women, the campaign aims largely to provide all medical and health supplies to medical centres and hospitals in Palestine to ensure the provision of the necessary treatment to all those affected by the recent military events,” he said.
“The campaign also works to strengthen educational and cultural institutions to create an educated generation despite the psychological and material conditions that the Palestinian students are going through,” he said.
More than 250 people were killed, the vast majority of them Palestinians, in 11 days of violence last month, deemed the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian fighting in seven years.
Israel unleashed hundreds of air strikes against targets in Gaza causing $40 million worth of damage to the industry, $22m to the power sector and $27m to agricultural facilities.
ghazi@gdn.com.bh
&uuid=(email))