More than €1.1 millionraised with Giro555 for the Middle East

Via Giro555, more than 1.1 million euros have already been raised for victims of the conflict in the Middle East. The campaign was announced on Thursday. The money is intended for emergency aid in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Syria.

There was a lot of fuss about the distribution of the money in recent days because money is also going to Israel. "It is heartwarming to see that the Dutch want to support the life-saving aid in the Middle East," says campaign chairman Harm Goossens of Giro555. "But I do think that the polarization in society and the discussion about our campaign in recent days, do not help to collect as much funds as possible for aid. For us, there are no victims on one side or the other: it is about people." Goossens hopes to be able to convince more people to donate in the coming days.

The organizations behind Giro555 are CARE Nederland, Cordaid, Kerk in Actie, the Dutch Red Cross, Oxfam Novib, Plan International, Stichting Vluchteling, Terre des Hommes, UNICEF Nederland, and World Vision. Wednesday 16 October is a national day of action from Beeld & Geluid in Hilversum.

Aid workers from the collaborating organizations are on site to help affected people and are also working with local partners. "I have been to Beirut many times, but I have never seen the city like this. More and more people are fleeing to the city center to seek safety," says Tineke Ceelen, director of Stichting Vluchteling. "Their safety is not guaranteed anywhere. More and more families are sleeping on the streets, on a piece of cardboard, or just on the pavement. It is dirty here, people cannot shower, and there is no toilet. Not even for the elderly and small children. We have not a day to lose, we have to help now."