Yemeni aid for Lebanon continues [Archives:2006/971/Reportage]
August 10 2006
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Several speeches were given and poems recited by participants and talented children during the event, which stressed support for Lebanese and Palestinians, as well as launching fundraising campaigns for them. The festival plans to deploy fundraising campaigns throughout the country and continue any relevant activities.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh last week ordered the government to transfer YR 450 million as part of installments to support Palestinians. The president also requested transferring YR 1 billion in financial support from Yemeni businessmen for his election campaign to Palestinian and Lebanese peoples. Additionally, the government is coordinating with its Jordanian counterpart to assist Yemeni airplanes carrying relief and assistance to Palestinian and Lebanese peoples to land in Beirut and Gaza airports.
Mohammed Ghaleb Nashwan, an 80-year-old Yemeni, decried Arab leaders' passive stance and confirmed that he's ready to sell all his property and make donations to militants in Lebanon and Palestine. He asked Arab leaders to use oil as a weapon to stop the war. “As we all belong to the same religion, despite being Sunni or Shiite, we must support Lebanon and stop Israeli aggression.”
When asked, the majority of child participants denounced Arab nations' stance on the situation in Lebanon. “If people have a clear conscience and if you fear God, they must stand with the resistance and Hassan Nasrallah,” said 6-year-old Lebanese child, Na'eem Mur'ee, “Children in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq are exposed to risk, while the children of Arab leaders lead safe lives.” Asked if he had something to say about Arab leaders, the child replied, “We want Hezbollah to bear with the passive attitude of Arab leaders – victory is coming, inshallah.”
At the Resistance Tent, Kamal Al-Hamdi, representative of CAC Bank (which holds the account for donations), noted that three children have come and donated their weekly pocket money. He also recounted that a women was on her way to pay her electric bill when she saw the tent. She came over and donated half of the bill amount saying, she doesn't care about the electricity as much as helping “her brothers and sisters in Lebanon and Palestine.”
YPC chairman Yahya Saleh stated that five airplanes now are ready to transport food and medical relief, pointing out that such relief includes 36 tons of medicine from 21 medical firms at a total cost of YR 45 million. He said it also includes 84 tons of food, in addition to 26 tons of food and medicine from the Yemeni Economic Corporation.
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