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Over Dh36.5 million raised for Lebanese relief

DUBAI — Dubai-based television channels yesterday helped raise donations of Dh36.5 million towards relief materials for the suffering Lebanese people at the time of going to the Press.

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These donations were pledged by UAE nationals and expatriates as well as establishments and sports clubs during a 10 hour-long telethon aired live by the television channels to help mitigate the human crisis in Lebanon.

The move is part of the campaign titled ‘Towards healing Lebanon's wounds’ which has been organised by Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) in cooperation with the Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation and the UAE Red Crescent Authority.

Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Arab actors including Yousra, Duraid Laham, Mahmmed Al Mazmi, Waddie Al Safi, Samir Ahmed and Fatima Zahrat Al Ain as well as sport clubs in the UAE have committed donations. During the telethon, donations were pledged by telephone and fax by people of goodwill from the UAE and the countries worldwide.

During the telethon, the Dubai TV channels aired pictures and stories of Lebanese children victim of the bombings including Houwida, the 10-year-old girl who lost her father and two brothers besides her left eye. Another story was of Fatima whose family members were severely injured and admitted in hospitals.

Dubai TV also interviewed Khalifa Nassir Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Board Council of UAE Red Crescent Authority. He said that the Red Crescent is responsible for distributing the aid with help of the UAE embassy in Beirut and appropriate parties in Lebanon as well in cooperation with Emarati Lebanese Friendship Association.

He noted that General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has ordered the setting up of an air bridge for facilitating all UAE flights to transport tonnes of relief materials to victims of war in Lebanon. The Red Crescent is making efforts to erect such bridges and now more than 600 tons of aid and medicine are ready to be immediately transported to Lebanon.

Ibrahim Bu Melha, Deputy Chairman of Board Council of Mohammed bin Rashid Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, speaking to Dubai TV said that the human situation is worsening in Lebanon and needs immediate response from organisations.

Around 900,000 Lebanese have been displaced from the southern region of Lebanon and more than 500,000 have relocated to Syria. ''Our aid is divided into two parts: the first part is allocated for displaced Lebanese who were sheltered in schools of Damascus and the other part is being transported for the victims in all parts of Lebanon,'' Bu Melha said.

Mariam Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi, UAE Minister of Social Affairs, said that her Ministry has instructed all the social and charity organisations to cooperate with one another to conduct support campaigns to help children and people of Lebanon.

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