Huge response in Sharjah for UAE's aid collection drive in support of Lebanon

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Crowds of people turned out in force at an aid collection event in Sharjah on Saturday to pack supplies for people displaced by the deadly conflict in Lebanon.

Volunteers filled the halls of Expo Centre Sharjah by early morning to pack up to 10,000 boxes of goods such as tinned food, blankets, rice, tea, dates, sugar and more.

Organisers said 3,000 volunteers came out to support the initiative and packed 250 tonnes of aid.

Huge response in Sharjah for UAE's aid donation drive for Lebanon

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The community-spirited initiative, called UAE Stands With Lebanon, began just before 9am and crowds of people of all ages were waiting to play their part.

“I’m half Austrian and half Lebanese, so for me it was quite important to be here,” said Robert Erich Polsterer, who was volunteering with The Big Heart Foundation. “I feel totally powerless so it was a way to help,” he said, adding that he had not expected to see so many people turn up at the event.

“It is fantastic,” he said. “There are people from everywhere. I was not expecting this level of response.”

“The UAE is standing with Lebanon,” said Abdalla Sultan Binkhadim, executive manager at Sharjah Charity International. “Today, we are in Sharjah to get 10,000 packages and we have until 1pm to finish it.”

The aid drive was organised under the supervision of the UAE's "International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council" by the Big Heart Foundation and the Sharjah Charity International along with other Emirati humanitarian institutions and charitable associations.

The Sharjah event and another one at Dubai Expo City comprise a second round of aid collection to support Lebanon. Thousands of people took part in similar events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on October 12 and 13, packing 450 tonnes of supplies for people in Lebanon whose lives have been affected by the war.

So far, the UAE Stands With Lebanon initiative has raised more than Dh110 million ($30 million) since its launch. The two-week campaign, which began on October 8 on the directive of President Sheikh Mohamed, shows solidarity with Lebanon.

The Israeli air strikes and invasion has displaced more than 1.2 million people and killed about 2,000.

The UAE this week has sent three planes loaded with 120 tonnes of aid to assist civilians in Lebanon and Syria. So far, the UAE has sent 12 planes carrying 515 tonnes of aid to Lebanon. And the Sharjah event showed some of the work that can go into a task of such epic scale.

People in Lebanon will feel 'they are not left alone'

“Thank you UAE and to the government of the UAE for this big campaign. It is very beautiful. It is very helpful,” said Consul General of Lebanon in Dubai Assaf Doumit, who said it sends a message that Lebanon is not alone. “It has a big effect on the Lebanese people. They know they have brothers in the Gulf, especially in the UAE and they know they are not left alone.”

Speaking to The National, Steven Anderson, director of the World Food Programme, UAE office and representative to the GCC, highlighted how the “UAE has stepped up in a very big way.”

“We have many volunteers from all walks of life, all here filling boxes of food to be sent to Lebanon.”

Mr Anderson and a team of about 50 people from the WFP, which works closely with the UAE, were also volunteering their time to help those in need.

“All these food items, but also other non-food items, are being collected and packed and then they're going to be shipped as soon as possible to Lebanon, where humanitarian groups will be making sure that they're delivered to the needy.”

He said it was a challenging situation on the ground in Lebanon with the question of getting aid to the displaced people being chiefly about logistics as access was difficult. “It's a very dramatic situation for them,” he said. “Food is one of their most critical priorities, of course, among other needs as well.”

Boxes at the Sharjah centre were being packed and loaded on lorries as soon as they were ready with Mr Anderson stating simply it “could not get there sooner”.

“We're worried actually that there could be a possibility of access being cut off. And we're hoping that all the boxes that we see behind us being filled out will be dispatched as soon as possible,” he said, stating food would largely be shipped by sea and be there in a couple of weeks with certain medical supplies already flown to the country. “We're trying to respond to about one million people in Lebanon.”

Volunteer Caterina Galluzzi said it was important to be there and show solidarity with the people of Lebanon.

“I brought my son here,” she said. “And I think it is a good learning opportunity also for our families to see what we do to inspire the younger generation.”

Lorenzo Tacchella, who was packing boxes of basic food items such as rice, salt and cooking oil, said the aid would bring the people of Lebanon some sense of normality in these difficult times.

“[These are what] basic family needs in order to cook and continue living a normal life even if at the moment it is not their normal life,” he said. “But at least they can have some [continuation] until things get back to normal, hopefully soon.”

Aid donation drive for Lebanon - in pictures