MANAMA, 29 July 2006 — Two major solidarity campaigns for Lebanon began Thursday in Bahrain with the aims of raising humanitarian aid and helping children cope during the ongoing conflict with Israel.

In another event, hundreds of people rallied in Karanah village, north of Manama, where protesters burned the Israeli flag. Marchers chanted death to America and Israel and raised Lebanese and Hezbollah flags while denouncing Israeli military action in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Thursday and yesterday in Bahrain were declared Solidarity Day with Lebanon.

One charity campaign was organized by the Lebanese Embassy and civic groups, launching a two-day aid drive in nine of Bahrain’s major shopping malls.

Volunteers handed out Lebanese flags to donors, who gave cash and urgently needed supplies to help the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who have evacuated villages and parts of Beirut, with the Israeli attack enters in a third week.

A substantial amount of the donations came from Gulf nationals, particularly Saudis, who had turned to Bahrain after canceling vacation plans in Lebanon.

Bahrain’s Be-Free Friends Club and the Bahraini Women’s Society also launched a fundraising campaign in two of the country’s largest shopping malls hoping to help Bahraini, Gulf and Lebanese children cope with the conflict and express their views on the war. Children placed their drawings and written messages in makeshift galleries set up for Bahraini children to support Lebanese and Palestinian children, with many expressing sadness over the conflict.

Children were given the option to record spoken messages and place short notes on a piece of cloth that carried their hand prints, all of which will be sent to the children in Lebanon through the Lebanese Embassy.

Be-Free Friends Club training program coordinator Fatima Frutan said that the aim of the campaign was to help children and express concern for the victims of the conflict in Lebanon and Palestine.

“We want to ease the children suffering here and there,” she said. “And it’s an opportunity to let the people know of how the children are suffering in this war.”

Eight-year-old Saudi Saif Terkomani, who sent a short message of support through the Be-Free campaign, said that he was concerned for his Lebanese acquaintances.

“We were there a week before of all this happened,” he said. “I just hope my friends there and the nice taxi man who drove us around are all safe.”

The Bahraini government had moved to help raise money for the Lebanese people and government by setting up a national committee with an initial $5-million donation.

The Bahrain Red Crescent Society (BRCS) is also leading a drive to raise more than $3 million to be directed to the Lebanese government.