4,000 VOLUNTEERS ANSWERED TO “UAE STANDS WITH LEBANON” CALL CAMPAIGN

USPA NEWS - Since the Israeli military escalated its offensive against Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon last month whose deadly rocket attacks have not stopped, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported that the death toll in Lebanon is now more than 2,200 since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
UAE Ruler, H.H Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed during a phone call with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, relations between the UAE and the European Union (EU), while insisting on the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and the need to ensure full protection for civilians in accordance with international law while guaranteeing the safe and sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid as a prompt relief. In light of this tragic attacks, the UAE Ruler, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed on Sunday, launched a campaign two weeks ago, called “UAE Stands with Lebanon”. The second initiative was held on October 20, 2024, from 9:00 to 13:00 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at Expo City Dubai hold, and gathered over 4,000 volunteers according to the organizers, as for a second aid collection driven by Emirates red Crescent and Dubai Cares.

Israel hit central Beirut on Thursday, reportedly killing 22 civilians and injuring over 117 more, in the deadliest attack on the city center since the war against Lebanon began. It was the first time, that The strikes hit a densely packed residential neighborhood of apartment buildings and small shops in the heart of the Lebanese capital. Israel has struck this area in particular while Hezbollah’s headquarters have been repeatedly bombed over the past weeks. The ground incursions started on 30th of September in Southern region of Lebanon, according to UNHCR.

Since the Israeli military escalated its offensive against Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon last month whose deadly rocket attacks into Israel have not stopped, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported that the death toll in Lebanon is now more than 2,200 since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
That number “continues to climb as the situation becomes more dramatic”, said Rema Jamous Imseis, UNHCR Director for the Middle East.
Over 10,000 people have also been injured amid Israeli airstrikes and Israeli evacuation orders that have left more than 25 per cent of the country “under a direct Israeli military evacuation order”, the UNHCR official told journalists in Geneva. ( Source : UNHCR)

Some 1.2 million people have now been displaced across Lebanon, according to the country’s government, while the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, warned that all those impacted “are enduring the worst humanitarian crisis in decades”. (Source : UNHCR/OCHA)

The U.N, EU, UAE, & OTHER COUNTRIES CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA & LEBANON
Multiple western countries, including France, Germany, South Africa … have called for an immediate end to the bombing campaign as the longer the war continues, the higher the risk that the region will descend into a major military conflagration, presenting a grave threat to international peace and security. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that 88 predominantly French-speaking countries have collectively called for an "immediate" ceasefire in Lebanon. Speaking at the 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris, President Macron also said the group had approved an international conference to support Lebanon, which will take place later this month. "We expressed our solidarity with Lebanon. We unanimously called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and reaffirmed our commitment to de-escalating tensions in the region. We want peace and security for all," Macron said. (Source: Francophonie Summit, Euronews)

Egypt’s position calling for the prevention of the expansion of conflict and emphasizing the necessity of stopping escalation, in order to prevent sliding into a full-scale regional war, which will have serious repercussions on the security and capabilities of all countries and peoples of the region. In this context, the President El Sissi, stressed the necessity of continuing and intensifying international efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, stopping violations and aggression in the West Bank, and allowing access to urgent and sufficient humanitarian aid to end the exacerbating plight of civilians. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt)

A senior UN official has told the UN Security Council that the safety of 10 400 UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon is ‘increasingly in jeopardy’ with Israeli forces having deliberately fired on their positions. South Africa underscores that attacks on peacekeepers are “a grave violation of international humanitarian law”. (Source UNHCR) . The UAE's Ruler, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the humanitarian effort deployed by the charity & NGOs in responded to the campaign UAE Stands with Lebanon

In the UAE, the Ruler, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the humanitarian effort deployed by the charity & NGOs in responded to the campaign UAE Stands with Lebanon” and stated as his call for this campaign with respect to the inherited sense of solidarity and generosity towards the underprivileged and the most vulnerable from his beloved father» These principles have been a constant pillar since the time of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was known for promptly extending aid and urgent assistance to all brotherly and friendly nations, alleviating the suffering of those affected by natural disasters and conflicts.

H.H SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED & EU LEADERS CALL FOR CEASEFIRE IN GAZA & LEBANON
UAE Ruler, H.H Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed during a phone call with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, relations between the UAE and the European Union (EU), discussing their mutual cooperation in the future in the Middle East. Given the dramatic context of strikes landed in Gaza and Lebanon, by Israel, they insisted on the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and the need to ensure full protection for civilians in accordance with international law while guaranteeing the safe and sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid as a prompt relief.
Beyond the efforts to be deployed in order to reach lasting peace based on the two-state solution keeping a regional security and stability, the humanitarian aid, has to be delivered ASAP.

THE ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN CHARITABLE & HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION HAS CONTRIBUTED AED5 MILLION IN CASH $ IN KIND -AID OVER THE CAMPAIGN “UAE STANDS WITH LEBANON”
The Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable & Humanitarian Foundation has contributed
AED5 Million in financial and in-kind aid in support of the ‘UAE stands with Lebanon’ relief campaign. (Source WAM)
According to the organizers, the announcement of the UAE Stands with Lebanon” operation, was made during the Zayed Foundation's participation in the campaign’s activities at the Dubai Exhibition Centre and that the collection of goods was to complete the financial relief, representing a cash donation of AED3 million, along with in-kind assistance worth AED2 million. When it comes to the goods it consists of, the items, are pre listed by the Dubai Cares & Emirates Red Crescent organization (aiming to reach out at least 125,000 individuals amid 25,000 families) reaching more than as it follows

ITEMS COLLECTED PACKED AND TO BE SEND TO LEBANON's FAMILIES FROM DUBAI
1-10,000 food parcels
2- 5,000 blankets
3-1,200 winter kits containing essential items for protection during winter
4- 5,000 mattresses
5- 1,000 relief kits
6- 2,000 solar-powered fans
7- 1,000 first-aid kits
8-15,000 clothing sets

The Emirati ruler called for a campaign named “UAE Stand With Lebanon”. It is a community nationwide initiative, in order to help and give urgent needs to support Lebanon, due to the tragic situation. Therefore, H.H Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, called for this campaign which started two weeks ago, with the 1st community mobilized, in the first place. As far as the organization is concerned, such a huge activity of relief aid initiative, happened last week on Thursday, following by the second edition on October 20, at Dubai Exhibition Centre. It required a very well planned and supervised organization under the umbrella of renowned nonprofit bodies, to make this volunteering operation to happen, in such a short notice.
During this second round, the charity organizations, foundations, NGOs managed to gather more than four thousand (4,000) volunteers (According to the organizers, from Emirate Red Crescent and Dubai Cares) coming from different sectors and community to help as for emergency service for kids, women etc.

INTERVIEW OF Mr ABDULLA AHMED ALSHEHHI CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT DUBAI CARES
Mr Abdulla Ahmed ALSHEHHI, Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Cares, sat and kindly answered to USPA’s French correspondent (People of Determination) questions, on site, by the end of the “UAE Stands with Lebanon” operation. Here is the short interview.

USPA/ RSR Who was in charge of supervising the over 4000 volunteers?

ABDULLA AHMED ALSHEHHI : For this second edition, it was close we coordinated the operation with Red Crescent and we had also the supervision from the National Council of International Migrants needs who are in charge of the international Aids for all needs in the UAE. These are the one who organized such an event.
Hence, we are working with different partners to execute this initiative. The over acting campaign that was launched within the UAE has more than twenty five partners (25), from different sectors in the UAE, including NGO, and different charities, foundations and volunteering platforms, coming together to support this campaign for Lebanon.

USPA/ RSR : Who is to decide the composition of the Boxes content? Upon which request & criteria ?

ABDULLA AHMED ALSHEHHI :
The items have been chosen by our great partners who are distributing these packs, which are the Emirates Red Crescent who’d chose what are the items content of the packs, their quantity, needed for that emergency response and of course each country has its own specification when it comes to food items or hygiene items, or other items. All this has been internally discussed with the partners, and after having agreed on the quantities, we, as far as Dubai Cares is concerned, we call for volunteers for them to participate to come & packing all these items. We then supervise the operation from A to Z, collecting the items, organizing them, putting them in line, and preparing in a neat way the items, for the ones to receive them.

ABDULLA AHMED ALSHEHHI :
When the volunteers come, they get registered, and access to the working area and demo table for them to see how it should be done.
We kind of show them, how to put the items in order the in the boxes. Once it is done, we start supplying each line with the number of qualities which is required.
So, it is an operation from A to Z, once they are allocated to stations, we have team leaders who briefed them a day before.
It is their responsibility to oversee these stations by giving them orientation and brief to the volunteers and participants who'd come and to do the packing by themselves.
We also have a dedicated team for quality control, because it is very important that by the end of this activity we have a tracking number, for quality control. It is so important because we don’t want a box going to a family missing an item. They are urgent necessary for every single item, and if one is missing, from the box it would not looking nice. So that’s why the quality control team is very keen and very focused on the activity before sending it for the people in need.

USPA/ RSR : One can appreciate this delicate and ethical approach towards the victims to receive the items form donations, during this operation. Not only valuing the content of the boxes, but also paying a high respect to the victims of the conflict in Lebanon.
What is the next and last step to send these packs to Lebanon?

ABDULLA AHMED ALSHEHHI :
As soon as we are done with this activity, we had our partner Emirates Red Crescent, who are in charge of collecting all these boxes and shipping them to the warehouses, closed by here, to be stored before they are sent directly to Lebanon through different means, airways through airplanes.
The UAE has sent more than nine (9) planes already since, filled of tons of Urgent Aids. The current boxes will follow the same shipment to Lebanon as soon as possible.../
As it was delivered on site Dubai Exhibition Centre 20 October 2024, during an interview in person.

INTERVIEW JAMILA ALANSARI, VOLUNTEER (LIFE QUALITY EXPERT at MINISTRY OF ENERGY & INFRASTRUCTURE UAE)
Jamila AL ANSARI, was volunteering, as she helped our correspondent to access to the organizers and also helped herself in person to fill a pack, with baby powder tin boxes. Jamila, whose name means (beautiful in Arabic) never stopped smiling as she explained her participation today, and how she generously got involved in the whole process of the volunteering. She genuinely naturally confessed as she was genuinely packing boxes, in front of the journalists filming the station area of volunteering her joy of expressing her sense of solidarity towards the victims in Lebanon.
USPA/ RSR:
How did you get involved in the operation and dedicating your Sunday, day off, to participating to “UAE stands with Lebanon” operation at DEC?
JAMILA AL ANSARI :
“Am glad and proud to participate in the We stand with Lebanon” operation thanks to our leader, ruler of the UAE Shaikh Mohamed Bin Zayed who launched this campaign two weeks ago. UAE always supports other countries in the difficult times towards the safety and security of their people”…/Delivered during a short interview on site, in person.

Apologies for any type or mistakes due to the strong disability condition of our correspondent, who does the most of her abilities as to keep up with her standard of a high senior professional's background.