'He Was A Dear Friend': 77-Year-Old Volunteers At Gaza Meal Packing To Honour Sheikh Ahmed

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Hundreds of UAE nationals and residents from various government entities and schools gathered at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Saturday to pack over 10 million meals for Gaza.

One among them was 77-year-old Rashed Mohammed Binhashem. For Rashed, the initiative was not just about participating in a noble cause.

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It was about paying homage to his dear friend Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

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“He was a dear friend to me,” Rashed told Khaleej Times, taking a break in between his packing activities.“I met him every week except in the month leading up to his demise. May God have mercy on his soul.”

One of the earliest members of the Al Wasl club, Rashed said he had arrived at the DWTC's Zabeel Hall at 9am to pack essentials into meal boxes for Gaza.

In his hands, he held his phone with a photograph of him presenting a golden sword to the late Ahmed bin Rashid during an event at Al Wasl club.

“I am here doing my best to honour his legacy,” he said.“He really had the biggest heart, and I am grateful that I have this opportunity to remember him in the best possible way.”

The humanitarian initiative was renamed the Ahmed bin Rashid Humanitarian Bridge, honouring the legacy of the late Sheikh who passed away last week.

It was organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) in cooperation with the UAE's Operation Chivalrous Knight 3.

'We wanted to help'

Two of the youngest volunteers in the room were nine-year-old Shamsa and five-year-old Hamda. The cousins, who were family members of employees of the ARM holding group, sometimes had to stand on their tiptoes to reach into the box and place the items.

“Usually on Saturdays, we sleep late and then play,” said Shamsa, a student at King's School Al Barsha.“But today, we woke up early to come here and pack. We wanted to help with the initiative.”

Cheers and applause could be heard arising from the various stations as they reached certain milestones in the packing. Each box was packed with various essentials including pulses, rice, vegetable oil, chickpeas and sugar.

For some other volunteers, the initiative came during a working day. Shahad Alblooshi and Abeer Ismail Ali are inspectors in the K9 unit of Dubai Customs. They were a part of the more than 20-member volunteer team that came to help with the packing.

“We have been here since 9am, and we have been assisting in the packing,” said Shahad.“Our team of over 20 volunteers have been taking shifts doing the packing.”

Last month, Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 marked 1,000 day of continuous relief efforts in support of Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Over the course of the operation, the UAE has provided humanitarian assistance valued at more than US$3.89 billion, delivering over 126,000 tonnes of relief, medical and food aid.

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