ABU DHABI, 6th January, 2015 (WAM) --- In accordance with directives from President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and with follow-up by the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and with the participation of all government departments and private sector institutions, the UAE is launching a campaign tomorrow Wednesday to raise funds for refugees and people in the Levant to help them survive the powerful snow storm Huda expected to hit the region in the coming days.
A national committee comprising representatives of government departments and national media outfits has been urgently formed to carry out the campaign, "Show Compassion" (Tarahamu in Arabic). It seeks to provide warmth for one million people, including refugees, affected by winter conditions.
The campaign includes community, media and relief activities.
Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gargawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, said, "President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed the immediate start of the campaign and the involvement of all segments of the society in order to promote humanism, an integral part of the values of the UAE society." "H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid directed the immediate formation of a team representing all government departments, humanitarian agencies and media organisations in order to start the implementation of the directives of His Highness the President for the relief campaign to help people in the Levant who are affected by the winter weather in general and the forthcoming snow storm in particular." The members of the committee of the Show Compassion campaign include representatives of the Emirates Red Crescent, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Establishment, International Humanitarian City, Dubai Cares, Abu Dhabi Media Company, Dubai Media Inc. and all newspapers and local radio stations.
Today, the UAE humanitarian airbridge ordered by His Highness the President will start sending urgent relief shipments of blankets, winter clothes and food supplies to help hundreds of thousands of refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, in addition to those affected in Gaza and other Palestine regions, in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
On Friday, all the local media channels will also air a unified broadcast to cover the events of the humanitarian fundraiser.
The campaign is aimed at helping one million people and refugees in camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and other Palestinian regions, to survive a harsh winter as the Levant countries brace for the devastating snow storm Huda which will sweep across the region in the next few days. The storm is expected to bring down temperatures to four degrees Centigrade below zero with heavy snow, hail, and rain, and with wind speeds exceeding 110 Km/h.
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