JEDDAH, 20 May — Across the Arab world, citizens and officials have been organizing lengthy telethons to raise food, medicine, clothes and ambulances for the Palestinians in the Jenin camp and elsewhere in the occupied territories.
In Saudi Arabia, a government-sponsored telethon raised more than $85 million.
Almost a third of it — $27 million — came in the form of a personal donation by Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd gave $2.7 million; Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, gave $1.35 million; and Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, gave $800,000.
Ordinary citizens across the Kingdom also contributed on a massive scale.
Salma Dajani, with 20 of her relatives, friends and volunteers, had the dream of filling a truck with supplies to be distributed to the Palestinians by the Saudi Red Crescent.
In the end, they were able to fill 70 trucks.
“We had a great response,” Dajani told Arab News yesterday. “We managed to hand over 70 trucks full of supplies to the Saudi Red Crescent.”
The goods were mostly of practical use. However, they were often wrapped in fine tissue paper, and adorned with flowers.
Dajani said she had learned the importance of packaging items in a way that conveys to those receiving them the love felt by those who gave them.
“A girl spent hours, from morning till midnight, washing, cleaning and arranging clothes that she later donated,” Dajani said.
Benyamin Gharbawi, another volunteer, was among 18 men and women who donated food, cars, ambulances, medication and an estimated SR10 million.
Seventy-nine trucks were loaded with the items, which were also given to the Saudi Red Crescent.
Elsewhere in the Arab world, there has been a tidal wave of generosity — be it through words of support on famous Arab TV stations like Al-Jazeera and Abu Dhabi — which, along with Future TV station raised more than $28 million — or through the more traditional means of raising cash and goods.
Others sported the black and white garment symbolic of the Palestinians.
In Bahrain, a “mercy mission” to restore two damaged hospitals in Jenin and Nablus has got under way.
The Bahrain Medical Society, which is partaking in the effort, expects to raise $1 million.
More than 100 medical staff attended the initial meetings, including surgeons, along with 162 volunteers.
Additionally, a special bank account was set up at the National Bank of Bahrain for donations.
The Pakistani Women’s Association has already contributed BD500 to the charity.
On Monday, the International Ladies Group will be organizing a charity fair at the Gulf Hotel in Bahrain, under the auspices of Shaikha Hala Al-Khalifa, wife of Crown Price Salman Al-Khalifa.
In Jordan, the Health Ministry gathered 10,000 tons of medicine and 1,500 units of blood. Additional shipments of food supplies, blankets and tents are also ready to be sent. Various banks, including the Jordan Islamic Bank, Arab Bank and Housing for Trade and Finance, have been receiving donations. Large sums of money were donated by Fast Link, Jordan’s phone operator, which contributed JD100,000. The Jordan Engineers Association Council donated JD100,000, and the Amman Chamber of Commerce donated JD50,000.
