Al-Birr Charitable Society said it has started distributing free purchase coupons offered by Panda supermarkets among the victims to help them receive essential foodstuff such as rice, sugar and  beverages.

“This reflects the cooperation between Al-Birr and Savola Group, owner of Panda supermarkets, to support the flood victims,” said Mazen Batterjee, chairman of the organization. “We have received coupons worth SR50,000 from Panda.”

He said his organization would arrange buses to Panda daily for the families to buy what they want from the supermarket using free coupons. Many of the families have lost their vehicles during the flooding.

Batterjee thanked Panda and Savola for the gesture, adding that it reflected cooperation between the private sector and charities for the benefit of general public.

Established in 1982, Al-Birr has been involved in a variety of social, educational, health and cultural services. It has also set up dialysis centers and polyclinics to provide free health services to the needy.

Mawaddah, another charitable society, said a women’s team has been formed to visit families in the flood-hit residential districts to provide consultancy and counseling services.

The charity’s office in Gharnata Street will also receive women in need of counseling from 8 am to 12 noon. “We have opened a special office to provide counseling to Jeddah’s flood victims,” a Mawaddah official said. The charity can be contacted on 050-029-3388 to receive counseling services from its experts.

Jeddah Charitable Warehouse is meanwhile distributing hot meals among the flood victims, in addition to supplying food baskets, according to Faisal Al-Humaid, director general of the organization.

“We have stared distributing thousands of hot meals among the flood victims,” he said, adding that meals were provided by Al-Baik fast-food company. It received 1,000 food baskets from Anoud bint Abdul Aziz bin Musaed Foundation, he added.