PUTRAJAYA: Islamic Relief Malaysia has launched its ‘Palestine Emergency Appeal’ fund to aid the civilian victims of the Israeli bombings in Gaza that has entered its sixth day today, claiming at least 166 lives, mostly women and children, following a deluge of air-to-surface strikes.
The international aid organisation’s country director Zairulshahfuddin Zainal Abidin said the funds donated here will be channelled to its branch in Palestine where full-time staffers will acquire crucial medical aid and other food supplies.
He said the funds would be funds would be directly transferred to the organisation’s branch in Palestine where at least 120 full-timers and more volunteers were working round-the-clock to provide assistance to those injured or displaced by the aerial bombings which has mostly decimated residential areas.
“We have opened the emergency fund since the recent series of (Israeli) attacks began and we will hold a press conference to further elaborate on the matter soon,” he told reporters during a charity presentation ceremony, near here, yesterday.
Some 50 impoverished families from Dusun Tua, Hulu Langat, and Semenyih, Selangor received boxes containing household and food items from its ‘Ramadan Care For Hunger’ project which was aimed at reducing burdens faced by the poor during the holy month.
Islamic Relief, he said, has provided aid to some 6,000 Malaysian families since the Ramadan fund was launched in 2009.
Zairulshahfuddin said Islamic Relief Malaysia will not be sending a large group of volunteers to the conflict-ridden country, but will instead be dispatching several technical and education ‘specialists’
who would assist Palestine with rebuilding the nation.
He added those interested in donating to the organisation could visit www.islamic-relief.org.my to obtain more information.