By IANS,
Dubai: Indian journalists working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have donated food, clothes and medicines worth thousands of dirhams for the earthquake victims in Haiti.
The Indian Media Forum (IMF), a grouping of Indian journalists, Wednesday handed over the relief items to the Dubai Red Crescent Authority for distribution.
Haiti had appealed to the international community for food, tents and medicines for its 1.5 million quake affected people. Thousands of people have died in the 7.0-magnitude quake Jan 12.
The Red Crescent has already sent two teams with relief items to Haiti to help in the rescue effort, WAM news agency said.
“The first plane carrying men, machinery and essential items was dispatched immediately after the news of the devastation reached the UAE. A second plane with 100 tonnes of essential items was sent after that.” RCA official Rashid Al Junaibi said.
A third plane carrying the IMF donations would be sent shortly. “We are receiving too many donations for the Haitian people, so we may need another plane to dispatch the items,” he added.
“During our collection drive, we approached one of the leading garment factories to purchase clothes at a wholesale price. But the owner offered us new clothes worth 44,000 UAE dirhams (about $11,000), as his share of the goodwill gesture,” IMF president E.M. Ashraf said.
“A medical company also offered free medicines worth 10,000 UAE dirhams,” he said.