Dubai: Thousands of residents sacrificed their Sunday slumber to pack relief aid boxes for families affected by the conflict in Lebanon, at Expo City Dubai, which hosted the ‘UAE Stands with Lebanon’ campaign for a second time.
On what could have been a quiet weekend morning, volunteers including students and people from different walks of life, chose to instead roll up their sleeves, coming together in a heartwarming show of solidarity.
The second collection drive in Dubai saw the participation of 2,000 volunteers, resulting in the collection of 250 tonnes of relief materials, including food, medicine and shelter equipment.
The total collection in the campaign with the active involvement of UAE charities and agencies so far amounts to about 1,000 tonnes.
The campaign was launched as per the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the follow-up of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and under the supervision of Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs and Chair of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council.
Dubai Cares and the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) organised the event in cooperation with various charitable and humanitarian entities.
Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development Affairs and International Organisations and Member of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council, underscored the UAE's leading global humanitarian role in various countries in need, which carries on the legacy of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the vision of the leadership headed by the President.
Abdullah Ahmed Al Shehhi, CEO, Dubai Cares, explained that the deepening of the crisis and the worsening of hardships including mass exodus in Lebanon necessitated increased support.
He added that the UAE always stood by communities in dire situations and responded speedily to their needs, as currently in Lebanon, reflecting the country’s united and empathetic approach to humanitarian issues.
Around 24 Emirati donor institutions participated in collecting relief aid.
Massive arrangements
From seating facilities to refreshments, massive arrangements were made for the volunteers at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai. Hundreds arrived well before the campaign began at 9am. Those who had registered for the morning shift were first directed to a large hall where they could sit while waiting for the campaign to begin. The volunteers were then called into a bigger hall where team leaders from Dubai Cares and Red Crescent briefed them about how the relief materials should be packed inside the boxes displaying the name of the campaign.
The items packed for babies included baby milk powder, instant cereals, wet wipes, baby powder, soap, cream, shampoo, feeding bottle, toosh paste, tooth brushes, socks, blankets, towels and glucose biscuits. The women’s basket included wet wipes, blankets, sanitary napkins, shampoo, soaps, tooth paste, tooth brushes, towels, Vaseline cream, powder, hair tie, hair brush, razors and socks.
Meaningful Sunday
Pakistani students Zainab Shabbir, Afreen Maklai and Areesha Ashraf, were some of the early birds to arrive.
“We are school friends who study in different universities now. We came to do volunteering work as we thought it is the best way to give back to the community. This is my first attempt and I thought it would be a good opportunity to start with. This is not the usual pace of my Sunday. I would be sleeping at this time usually. I feel my weekend has become more meaningful,” said Zainab Shabbir.
Giving back
TV personality and real estate entrepreneur Zeina Khoury, who hails from Lebanon, came along with her children, aged six and eight, and some other members of her family and company.
“My parents are back in Lebanon, but not in the affected area. However, being in a country where there is unrest is something that we have got used to. Unfortunately, we have been going through this for the past 20 years. I left Lebanon because of the war. That is why it touches me even more. We do volunteering services usually in business as part of our CSR programme. But, today I am here with my kids also to teach them how important it is to give back to the community,” she said.
Ambulance team
Around 100 members of the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS) joined the campaign, led by Mishal Abdulkarim Julfar, CEO of DCAS, who brought his teenage daughters as well.
“This is a great humanitarian event. The UAE supports not only Lebanon, but people suffering all around the world. As part of our social responsibility, our team is here to show that everyone in the UAE is with Lebanon. We have paramedics, emergency physicians, those from administration and medical dispatch sections, drivers and others. We usually do volunteer work in Ramadan. This is our first time in a campaign like this,” explained Julfar.
People of determination
Wheelchair user Morad Shadeed from Jordan, who was in charge of a volunteer team handling the packaged boxes, said: “This is the latest war we are witnessing and there are many refugees out there. We cannot go there to support them. So, we support them by our work, with supplies. We try to give them food and everything else that is needed for them to survive until they go back home safely,” said Shadeed, who also brought his eight-year-old daughter to the event.
Young and the old
A group of young students from Dubai National School in Al Barsha also joined the drive.
Their supervisor Abeer Al Marabe and Red Crescent Volunteer Maha Taha Al Bank led them. “Our students are so happy to do the volunteering work. There were many who wanted to join, but we had to limit their number. Working with Red Crescent, we are teaching them how to help people,” said Al Marabe.
The students also joined elderly Emirati citizen Ali Salim Al Adeidi, who was on a wheelchair, in cheering for the campaign by shouting its slogan.
-with inputs from WAM
