- JEDDAH: The Association of Volunteer Work in the Eastern Province has won the support of more than 3,000 volunteers to help Jeddah's flood victims, Rania Bubshait, its executive director said.
- The team includes crisis management experts.
The organization launched a campaign on Saturday to mobilize support for the flood victims. "We have received good response as 42 teams from the Eastern Province and 18 teams from Riyadh, Alkharj, Abha and Jazan have agreed to join the team," she said.
"So far about 3,000 people have registered with the campaign," Bubshait said, adding that the organization's safety team would arrive in Jeddah on Sunday. It also intends to collect donations from philanthropists and businessmen and women for the flood victims.
In a related development, the committee for the coordination of social and charitable works in Jeddah has set up 14 teams to provide assistance to flood victims and carry out rehabilitation activities in affected areas by deploying more than 2,000 volunteers.
Mazen Batterjee, vice chairman of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chairman of the committee, said the volunteers would work to bring back life to 23 residential districts hit by Wednesday's downpour. The volunteers will focus their activities in areas such as Um Al-Khair, Nakheel, Naseem, Bani Malik, Sharafiya, Samir, Jamia, Toufik, Ajwad, Thagr, Ruwais and Balad.
The Jeddah Municipality said Saturday that it has removed water from main roads and streets and underpasses in the city and opened them to traffic. "We are continuing our efforts to remove water from King Abdullah underpass near Sharafiya," it said. The municipality used 300 tankers including 220 rented vehicles to remove water from different places.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Qarni, director of information center at the Civil Defense, said the department has provided shelter to 4,000 affected families. The department also distributed meals among people in the affected residential districts.
Zamzam charitable society said it provided health services to 107 women and children in flood-hit areas with the support of doctors and nurses who volunteer their services. "We need the support of more doctors, nurses and pharmacists," said Dr. Ali Al-Faqeeh, secretary-general of the organization.