Al-Othaimeen’s calls follow comments from several people at the meeting on formulating long-terms plans to deal with flooding in Jeddah. One of those who made such comments was Saleh Al-Kamel, head of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).

“We called for an emergency plan last year, but we have been told that the Civil Defense will do it. The floods came and no plan was ready. We said that last year. We can work on the plan. We have a department at the JCCI called the Social Responsibility Department,” he said.

A woman representative of a charity also made similar comments that prompted Al-Othaimeen to make his call.

The minister told participants to make a list of charities helping flood-affected people, their contact details and the services that they provide, all of which he instructed to be sent to the media. He also called for measures to ensure the work they carry out do no overlap.

He added that donations could be sent to individual organizations and not just those relief workers operating from the Al-Harthi Center. He also advised charity groups to focus on relief work and not on the work of the Ministry of Finance and the Civil Defense.

Charities participating in the meeting said there is an urgent need to determine the needs of people affected by the floods and also the places where charities should distribute aid.

One of the women participants invited the minister to visit flood-affected areas to get an insight into what is happening, while others called for more financial aid from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Fearing the mixing of genders, one male participant told women reporters off for trying to hand a microphone and recorder to a man to place in front of the minister.